After 3.5 seasons New York YankeesVeteran first baseman Anthony Rizzo’s time in the pinstripes may be over.

On Saturday, the Yankees announced they had declined Rizzo’s $17 million club option for 2025, making him a free agent. Instead, the club will pay $6 million to buy out the third and final year of his contract.

Rizzo, 35, joined the Yankees in a trade with the Chicago Cubs in July 2021. He got off to a strong start in the Bronx, hitting .249 with eight home runs in his first 49 games and posting a .817 OPS with 32 homers. through the 2022 season.

The 2016 World Series champion, four-time Gold Glove Award winner and three-time All-Star extended his stay in New York in November 2022 by signing a two-year deal that guarantees him $40 million plus an option. However, its production has decreased since then.

Rizzo played at least 130 games every year from 2013 to 2022, excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 season. However, he played less than 100 games in the last two seasons due to injuries.

After a strong start to 2023, San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. Concussion-like symptoms caused by a collision with led to a brutal two-month slump and resulted in a season-ending IL restriction. He posted a .706 OPS in 99 games.

In 2024, Rizzo faced a lengthy absence after suffering a broken right forearm in a collision with Boston Red Sox pitcher Brennan Bernardino, sidelining him from mid-June to late August. He finished the regular season with a .637 OPS in 92 games and hit no runs upon his return.

Broken fingers prevented him from making the Yankees’ 2024 ALDS roster, but he returned for the ALCS and World Series. In 38 postseason games, the left-hander went 8-for-30 (.267) with a double, six walks, two hits and 10 strikeouts. While he made some notable defensive plays, many will remember his miscommunication with pitcher Gerrit Cole during New York’s disastrous fifth inning in Game 5 of the World Series.

When the Yankees trailed 3-0 in the series, Rizzo acknowledged that any game could be his last in pinstripes.

Rizzo: “I love playing here” in question 4. Before the match. “I love being a Yankee. I love what comes with it. I love the standards here from all generations, the great Yankees of the past. Yes, this could very well happen. I am realistic. I’m not naive about this. But I believe that everything will take shape in due time.”

New York is now in search of a first baseman. Their current depth includes reliever Oswaldo Cabrera and Ben Rice, who hit .171/.264/.349 with seven home runs in 50 games as a rookie.