Anthony Rizzo Says He Hopes to Retire with Yankees amid Return to Cubs' Wrigley Field

Anthony Rizzo is staying focused on his future with the New York Yankees during his return to Wrigley Field for the first time since his 2021 trade from the Chicago Cubs.

"I really hope to retire as a Yankee," Rizzo said ahead of Friday's 2:20 p.m. ET start, per MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.

Rizzo, who played nine full seasons for the Cubs, won a World Series title with the club in 2016.

He was traded to New York at the 2021 deadline on an expiring contract. The Yankees re-signed him in 2021, then the next year offered him his current two-year $40 million deal with a club option for 2025.

After struggling to find offense while suffering from post-concussion syndrome last season, Rizzo has once more been limited by injury in 2024 after spending two-and-a-half months on the IL with a right forearm fracture.

Through 74 games this season he has marked a .629 OPS, his lowest since his rookie 2011 season with the San Diego Padres.

He showed off a glimpse of the offensive firepower he had wielded in Chicago when he recorded two doubles in his return to the lineup on Sept. 1.

That return put him on track to travel with the club to face the Cubs in Chicago, where Rizzo hit 242 home runs and won four Gold Glove awards in addition to contributing to the club's first title in 108 years.

Rizzo spoke fondly about Wrigley Field when speaking to reporters before the Yankees' road trip, per Schuyler Dixon of the Associated Press.

"I love it. The fans bring the energy there every day, similar to Yankee Stadium, similar to Fenway, similar to Dodger Stadium," Rizzo said, per Dixon. "I think Fenway's my favorite place to visit as a visitor, and I'm excited to go to Wrigley as a visitor and just go back and be on the other side of it."

But Rizzo emphasized that he had no regrets about the trade that sent him to New York.

"I think just getting traded was a refresher for my career," Rizzo said, per Dixon. "To be able to live in the city and play at Yankee Stadium is something I wish every baseball player could experience. The lights are brighter. They shine a little brighter every day. It brings the best out of you."

Whether Rizzo can achieve his goal of retiring as a Yankee could depend on the decision to pick up his $17 million salary for the 2025 season. The former All-Star first baseman will hope to encourage the club to take the option by continuing to provide offense in his return from injury.