Anthony Rizzo’s option for $17 million for the 2025 season was rejected by the New York Yankees on Saturday, opting instead for a $6 million buyout, which makes the first baseman a free agent.

The 35-year-old Rizzo, who is a three-time All-Star, had a challenging season interrupted by injuries. He finished the year with a batting average of .228, hitting eight home runs and driving in 35 runs over a span of 92 games.

Rizzo faced a significant setback when he suffered a fractured right forearm after a collision with Boston’s Brennan Bernardino on June 16, which kept him sidelined for 62 games. Upon his return from the injured list on September 1, he showed promise with a batting average of .380 (8 for 21). However, on September 28, he sustained another injury by fracturing the fourth and fifth fingers after being hit by a pitch from Pittsburgh’s Ryan Borucki.

Despite his injuries, Rizzo made his way back for both the AL Championship Series and the World Series, where he managed a batting average of .267 but did not record any RBIs.

Rizzo celebrated a World Series championship with the Chicago Cubs in 2016 and boasts a career batting average of .261, including 303 homers and 965 RBIs over 14 years in Major League Baseball. He was acquired by the Yankees from Chicago in July 2021.

He then signed with the Yankees on a two-year contract worth $32 million, later agreeing to a $40 million extension for another two years in November 2022.