(670 The Score) There are certain to be more moves by the Cubs as their sell-off accelerates into the deadline Friday, and perhaps some have even been made between the time this was written and now as you read.
But in the flipping of first baseman Anthony Rizzo to the Yankees, we have unquestioned punctuation at the end of whatever story this era eventually became. His concurrent presence amid all phases of the Theo Epstein decade -- the depths of the teardown, the start of the build-back, the breakout of 2015 and the ensuing World Series title thereafter that was followed by both heightened expectations and withering disappointment -- forever establishes him as one of the most important players in the history of the franchise.
The Cubs get back A-ball right-hander Alexander Vizcaino and rookie-league outfielder Kevin Alcantara, the Yankees' 9th- and 12th-rated prospects, respectively, by MLB.com.
And in truth, it was time to move on.
Though it remains possible Rizzo could return as a free agent after a rental stint in the Bronx, a soon-to-be 32-year-old with chronic back problems just isn't a smart investment of tens of millions of dollars. His production has been in decline since his three All-Star appearances in the mid-2010s, with his current wRC+ of 115 below his career mark of 130 in a way that suggests time is catching up.
What's more, Rizzo vaporized a significant portion of accrued emotional capital among a large group of fans -- and more than a handful of people within the organization -- with his proud and public avoidance of the COVID-19 vaccine. It was objectively bad leadership that helped put the Cubs in a more dangerous and disadvantaged competitive position, and it undercut the narrative of committed teammate and positive clubhouse presence that he had enjoyed for so long. His dugout spat with teammate Willson Contreras back in June in San Francisco and the catcher's subsequent rant about some Cubs who he felt were less than totally dedicated to winning showed cracks in the façade as frustrations mounted.
This is often how it ends, with us having to work a little harder with each passing year to remember the good times as innocently as we did. And there's nothing wrong with choosing to do so.
Rizzo was all of it, the reliable defensive stalwart at the corner of the diamond, the power hitter who still sacrificed some of it with two strikes to put balls in play, the fearless presence on top of the plate that made him the all-time Cubs leader in being hit by pitches, the name on a generous cancer charity and forever the receiver of Kris Bryant's throw to first base that ended a game and changed lives.
The Cubs were Anthony Rizzo's team in their finest hour, one that keeps feeling far away.
Dan Bernstein is the co-host of the Bernstein & Rahimi Show on middays from 9 a.m. until noon on 670 The Score. You can follow him on Twitter@Dan_Bernstein.
