Pinstripe Alley Podcast Ep. 177: Return of the Rizz

The Yankees have made their first notable move of the offseason, bringing Anthony Rizzo back on a two-year contract that will guarantee the veteran $40 million and give New York an option to bring him back in 2025. The news came out mere hours after Rizzo rejected the qualifying offer and looked to be headed for a drawn-out negotiation in free agency.

Thankfully, the Yankees avoided all that and locked in their Opening Day first baseman: a lefty power bat who has a reliable glove that will assuage any infielder’s concerns about their throws. With all due respect to DJ LeMahieu’s versatility and the other free agent first basemen, the 33-year-old Rizzo is a pretty darn good option for New York to immediately bring back. And even though it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor, having Rizzo in the clubhouse is a nice carrot for top priority/Rizzo pal Aaron Judge.

Andrew and Kunj discuss Rizzo’s return at the start of this week’s podcast, and then moved on to recent 40-man roster moves, plus the lack of a qualifying offer for Jameson Taillon. They also discussed the positive signs surrounding the Yankees’ chatter about Judge and the awkward potential collusion between Hal Steinbrenner and Steve Cohen on No. 99.

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