Yankees acquire Cubs first baseman Rizzo

The New York Yankees acquired Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo and cash for prospects Thursday in their second major trade this week for desperately needed left-handed bats.

A person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press the deal for Rizzo was done. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because there was no official announcement.

The swap came ahead of the Major League Baseball trade deadline Friday at 4 p.m. Earlier in the day, the Yankees announced they had gotten All-Star slugger Joey Gallo from Texas.

Rizzo is batting .248 with 14 home runs and 40 RBIs. The 31-year-old had been a fixture at Wrigley Field for a decade, and helped the Cubs break their long World Series drought with a championship in 2016.

Popular in the clubhouse and with Cubs fans, Rizzo didn't play in a 7-4 loss at home to Cincinnati on Thursday. The three-time All-Star is making $16.5 million this year and can become a free agent after the season.

Both Rizzo and Gallo are both left-handed hitters, which the Yankees had seeking to add to a lineup that was predominantly right-handed - not a good mix at Yankee Stadium, with its short porch in right field.

New York began the day fourth in the AL wild-card chase for two spots and then lost 14-0 at Tampa Bay.

The Yankees had been using a mix at first base this year with DJ LeMahieu getting a lot of time. Luke Voit led the majors in home runs last year during the pandemic-shortened season, but the big first baseman has been injured for much of the year.

Rizzo began his career with San Diego in 2011, then went to the Cubs in 2012. He is a career .269 hitter with 243 home runs and 793 RBIs.