Chicago Cubs: Ranking the 3 likeliest landing spots for Anthony Rizzo

MLB free agency remains at a standstill with the standoff between the league and the MLBPA showing no signs of ending anytime soon. Still, there are plenty of rumors and speculation still swirling – and after the Chicago Cubs made a big splash with the Marcus Stroman signing right before the lockout began – there’s reason to believe the team isn’t close to done adding.

Of course, several former Cubs – and fan favorites – are still out there, looking for a new deal, including the likes of Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo. I recently delved into some of the likeliest suitors for Bryant, and felt it’s only fair to tackle the latest rumors involving the longtime Chicago first baseman, as well.

Chicago Cubs: Ranking the likeliest Anthony Rizzo landing spots: #3 – Braves

If you ask almost anybody, the commonly held belief throughout the game is that, eventually, Freddie Freeman will return to the reigning World Series champion Atlanta Braves.

The fact that it didn’t happen prior to the lockout is, frankly, surprising. Freeman means to the Braves what Rizzo meant to the Cubs. Of course, you can immediately point to that comparison and see that, even when a player has a lasting legacy with a franchise, it doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to spend their career there.

Let’s, for a second, say the Braves won’t give Freeman what he’s seeking in his next deal. You can immediately assume the Dodgers and Yankees will both be in on the five-time All-Star, which would leave Atlanta looking for an answer at first base. That’s where Rizzo could come in.

Rizzo is clearly one of the top options for teams looking to improve at first base, along with likely trade candidate Matt Olson of the Athletics. We know the Braves were among a handful of teams in touch with Rizzo’s camp prior to the lockout, so if Freeman walks, you can assume they’ll be picking up the phone again to see if they can get a deal done.

Chicago Cubs: Ranking the likeliest Anthony Rizzo landing spots: #1 – Yankees

There’s little doubt: Anthony Rizzo wants to continue playing for the New York Yankees.

“The best part about playing for the Yankees was being able to go to another organization that was so first-class and just sit back and observe everything and how it goes,” Rizzo said. “See how it works in a different atmosphere like that. Same goal, but just [a] different atmosphere. It was really cool to experience that and learn so much more from people on the other side.”

Rizzo was solid for the Bronx Bombers down the stretch, but his performance actually tailed off a bit from his first-half showing with the Cubs. Right now, the Yankees have Luke Voit penciled in at first, but there’s been a decent amount of trade chatter around him already this winter.

For New York (and pretty much every other team looking to upgrade at first base), everything starts and ends with the Braves. What happens with Freddie Freeman will have a trickle-down effect on every other first base-related move that happens this offseason.

Rizzo, at this point, seems likely to fall to whichever of the teams doesn’t come away with Freeman or Olson. There’s a sizable gap in the production (and the price) you’ll get from either of those two and Rizzo, but the Yankees would be just fine if, come Opening Day 2022, Rizzo is their man at first base moving forward.