Rizzo signs new long-term deal with Cubs with option to extend.
The Chicago Cubs have agreed a new seven-year deal worth $41m with first baseman Anthony Rizzo, as confirmed by his agent with ESPNChicago.com.
The contract also has an option to extend for a further two years, which could see Rizzo earn up to as much as $73 over a nine-year period.
The 23-year-old is hitting .288 with nine home runs and 28 RBIs in what is his third season in major league baseball, and along with Starlin Castro is a key piece around which the Cubs are hoping to build for the future.
Both Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer have clearly identified him as an important prospect for the organisation, and the new deal will ensure they keep him under control through to 2012.
Rizzo arrived in Chicago following a stint with the San Diego Padres, and is currently tied for second in the National League and fifth in the Major Leagues with 19 extra-base hits.
Having been inserted into the No.3 spot in the Cubs’ line-up back in June last year, he has proven himself over the past year thus leading to his new lengthy contract.
Despite having not yet played a full season with the Cubs, and with just 172 games under his belt in the Majors, Chicago’s front office and player development staff clearly have high hopes for the youngster and see him growing into an important facet of the roster moving forward.
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