Chicago Cubs: Anthony Rizzo needs to be a Cub for life

Anthony Rizzo is the longest-tenured player on the Chicago Cubs roster and with all he does on and off the field he needs to be a Cub for life.

The offseason to this point has been terrible for pretty much all Chicago Cubs fan. It started with the Cubs not making the playoffs for the first time in five years. Then, even though many people expected there to be a shakeup in the roster I don’t think many people were ready to hear some of there favorite players in trade talks.

Kris Bryant and Willson Contreras are the two names that have been talked about the most. There were even some talks of the Cubs possibly trying to move Anthony Rizzo.

More from Cubbies Crib

• Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
• Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters
• Cubs are giving pitcher Javier Assad a deserved shot
• Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups
• Cubs: P.J. Higgins deserves to be in the lineup on a daily basis

Then during the Winter Meetings, Rizzo’s agent commented to reporters that the team was not working on an extension with their standout first baseman. This sent Cubs fans into a frenzy, plain and simple.

The Cubs just picked up Rizzo’s $16.5 million option for 2020. There is another $16.5 million option for 2021. Barring a trade, he’s not going anywhere quite yet.

Rizzo has played under a very team-friendly contract his entire career. In his first full season in the big leagues, he signed a seven-year, $41 million deal in 2013 with the Cubs with an option for 2020 and 2021.

In inking such a deal, Rizzo allowed the organization the financial resources needed when building a World Series champion. Of course, there was no knowing it would play out the way it did, either. The deal was a show of faith on behalf of the Cubs – and it worked out better than anyone could have imagined.

But now, it is time for the team to go out and take care of Rizzo. He has been the face of the franchise since he joined them in 2013. He was a Cub during the heart of the rebuild, including multiple 100-loss seasons. He has truly been through it all as a member of this historic franchise.

Rizzo is a three-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner and a former Roberto Clemente Award winner. He has way outperformed his contract that he signed, averaging 28 home runs, 96 RBI and an .877 OPS. According to FanGraphs, Rizzo has been worth a staggering $221 million of value over the length of his deal.

It’s no secret that fans don’t want Rizzo to ever wear another team’s jersey as long as he is still playing. For all that he does on and off the field he is the perfect player to have as the face of your franchise. We are truly lucky as that we got to cheer for Anthony Rizzo every day for the last seven years and hopefully will continue to do so for years to come.