Although Cubs GM Jed Hoyer didn’t say what player the team is trying to work out a contract extension right now, all signs point to it being All-Star shortstop Javier Báez. As we learned through ESPN’s Jesse Rogers Wednesday morning, the Cubs aren’t currently in talks with Anthony Rizzo to extend him beyond 2021.
Here’s what Rizzo’s agent told Rogers.
“The Cubs have informed us that they will not be offering Anthony an extension at this time,” Rizzo’s agent, Marc Pollack, said from the winter meetings. “Anthony has let his desire to be a Cub for life known to the organization. Although we do not know what the future holds, a deal to make that happen will not be addressed now.”
Rizzo, 30, is under team control for two more seasons via club options worth $16.5 million in 2020 and 2021.
That statement from Rizzo’s agent came out of nowhere, but it’s also not surprising. It appears as if Rizzo’s side approached the Cubs this winter looking for an extension and they weren’t happy with what they heard. Before Cubs fans panic, this doesn’t mean that they won’t ever talk again about an extension. There’s plenty of time to work out a deal before Rizzo becomes a free agent.
But the Cubs were blindsided by that statement and Hoyer responded. Here’s what he told David Kaplan.
So, Hoyer reveals that the Cubs and Rizzo did discuss what an extension could look like, but that they were far apart. Hoyer specifically mentions the length of a potential contract extension being the point of contention. However, he obviously doesn’t close the door on future talks and says a match is possible at a later time.
Rizzo has played all but 49 of his 1,207 career games with the Cubs after he was acquired from the Padres following the 2011 season.