(New York) Anthony Rizzo will remain with the New York Yankees, with whom he has agreed to a two-year contract worth a combined US$40 million, according to a person briefed on talks between the two clans.
This person spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement is dependent on a successful medical examination.
If this step is successfully completed, the 33-year-old first baseman will receive US$17 million in each of the next two seasons.
The contract also includes an optional clause at the discretion of the team. If the Yankees exercise it, Rizzo will receive 20 million in 2025, otherwise, they will have to pay him the sum of 6 million in the form of a buyout.
Rizzo had withdrawn from his previous pact with the Yankees, leaving out a salary of 16 million he would have received in 2023.
Since joining the New York team at the 2021 trade deadline, Rizzo has provided the Yankees with a powerful left-handed hitter who took advantage of the tight fence near the Yankee Stadium right field boundary line.
In 2022, Rizzo posted a .224 batting average, with 75 RBI and 32 home runs, a total he reached for the fourth time in his career.
Although the Yankees finished first in the Major Leagues with 254 home runs, only 77 were hits by left-handed hitters.
The agreement reached with Rizzo is the first of great importance for the Yankees since the start of the offseason. The Yankees are still hoping to sign star outfielder Aaron Judge to a contract.