Rizzo’s bargain contract gives Cubs ‘cost certainty’
It sounded like a primal scream at Wrigley Field when Anthony Rizzo shouted, “Respect me,” while standing on second base during the eighth inning of Game 3 of the National League Division Series.
Nationals manager Dusty Baker chose to pitch to Rizzo with a man on second and two out, and Rizzo responded with a bloop single to short center to give the Cubs the go-ahead run in a 2-1 win.
It was out of character for Rizzo, who isn’t known as the chest-thumping type.
At the Cubs Convention, three months after the scream, I asked Rizzo if he got a hit after his “respect me” moment.
“Did I?” he said. “I think I got one, didn’t I?”
True, Rizzo did get one hit in the NL Championship Series against the Dodgers, but he was 1-for-25 postscream.
It was a painful ending to an otherwise productive season for Rizzo, who needs no motivation as he enters his seventh season on the North Side. He knows what’s expected of him and his teammates and believes the postseason drubbing at the hands of the Dodgers will only strengthen the Cubs’ resolve as they begin to write a new chapter next week in Mesa, Ariz.
“To get so close again and lose in the NLCS again is tough,” he said. “We grinded, we battled, but we just ran out of gas. I think everyone here seems pretty revamped.”
The good times aren’t guaranteed forever, but the Cubs’ window to win should be open for several more years. One of the reasons is Rizzo’s relatively inexpensive contract, which helps the Cubs spend more elsewhere, knowing they’ll have him at an affordable salary through 2021.
“No question,” general manager Jed Hoyer said. “We’ve always known as these players start getting into arbitration, they start getting more and more expensive, which they should. Having some cost certainty is incredibly valuable in that regard.”
According to USA Today’s updated figures, Rizzo’s $7.28 million salary for 2018 ranked 173rd among major leaguers. That ranking is certain to drop as many of the 100plus free agents finally ink deals in the coming weeks.
That’s the risk Rizzo took in May 2013 when he signed a seven-year, $41 million deal in his second year with the Cubs. The deal took Rizzo through his arbitration years and three years of free agency, assuming the Cubs pick up the options. His salary increases to $11 million next year, and the Cubs hold $14.5 million options for 2020 and 2021.
Rizzo’s worth has increased exponentially since 2013, and now he’s vastly underpaid by current standards. His partner in crime, Kris Bryant, vaulted ahead of him this winter with a oneyear, $10.85 million deal to avoid arbitration, a major league record for Bryant’s service time.
But don’t cry for Rizzo. He understands the system and doesn’t begrudge anyone else for getting their money.
“It’s kind of fun to see all these guys breaking (salary) records,” he said. “You can start dreaming: ‘Hey, if I keep this pace up, what can I make in a few years?’”
Hoyer wouldn’t say whether the Cubs would consider extending Rizzo’s deal before 2021, when he’ll be 32. A lot can happen over the next four seasons, and there is no rush to extend him.
Either way, Rizzo is focusing on 2018. He hopes to remain a Cub the rest of his career but doesn’t care to look that far into the future.
“I love playing here,” he said. “This is like home to me. I’m very comfortable here. I love the fans. I love what we have going on ... I want to be here as long as I can be. I’d love to play here my whole career.”