Anthony Rizzo Announces MLB Retirement, Will Be Honored by Cubs at Wrigley Field

After going unsigned as a free agent since the end of the 2024 season, Anthony Rizzo's MLB playing career has come to an end.

Rizzo announced his retirement on Wednesday, with the Chicago Cubs planning a ceremony to honor the three-time All-Star on Saturday at Wrigley Field before their game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Rizzo spent his final four MLB seasons with the New York Yankees after being acquired in a July 2021 trade with the Cubs. He had a big 2022 with a .224/.338/.480 slash line and 32 homers in 130 games.

Injuries limited Rizzo to a total of 191 games over his final two seasons. He suffered from post-concussion syndrome throughout 2023 after a collision with San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. on a pickoff play at first base early in the season.

A broken arm sidelined Rizzo for more than two months in 2024. He also suffered fractures on two of his fingers after being hit by a pitch late in the regular season, but he was able to return for the ALCS and World Series.

The Yankees made Rizzo a free agent after last season by declining his $17 million option for 2025. He told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Brendan Kuty in February that he has "definitely thought about" retirement, but acknowledged it "could" be the end of his career.

Rizzo was originally drafted by the Boston Red Sox as a sixth-round pick in 2007. He was traded to the Padres three years later as part of the Adrián González deal.

After making his MLB debut with the Padres in 2011, Rizzo was traded to the Cubs in January 2012. He became a star in Chicago and a core member of the franchise's rise in the mid-2010s.

Rizzo made the All-Star team and finished top-10 in NL MVP voting in three consecutive years from 2014 to 2016. His most iconic moment as a member of the Cubs was catching the final out at first base when they defeated Cleveland in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series for the franchise's first championship in 108 years.

From 2014 to '19, Rizzo ranked ninth among all NL players with 26.7 FanGraphs' wins above replacement. The 36-year-old ended his career with a .261/.361/.467 slash line and 303 homers in 1,727 games over 14 seasons.