Cubs trade Anthony Rizzo to Yankees

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The face of the Cubs franchise is headed to the Bronx.

The Cubs have traded first baseman Anthony Rizzo to the Yankees, the club announced Thursday night.

Coming to the Cubs are prospects Alexander Vizcaino, a right-handed pitcher, and outfielder Kevin Alcantara, the Yankees' ninth- and 12th-ranked prospects, according to MLB Pipeline.

"Obviously, very emotional," Rizzo told a small group of reporters Thursday night. "It's still a rollercoaster."

Rizzo was the longest tenured Cubs player, coming over from the Padres in a trade in January 2012. He was one of the first building blocks for the Cubs as they opened their championship window, eventually breaking their 108-year drought in 2016.

"I have some good memories here," said Rizzo, who found out of the trade while in the Cubs' parking lot. "My whole life I grew up here.

"All good things come to an end."

That much loomed as a possibility this month, with the Cubs in a selloff and Rizzo, along with other core pieces Javy Báez and Kris Bryant, set to enter free agency this winter.

"It's going to be a tough second half here, which a lot of us here aren't used to. [It has] been a long time. To be able to go to another historic franchise like the Yankees, it's unbelievable."

Rizzo expressed excitement to join the Yankees. His family is from New Jersey and New York, and his wife's family is from Connecticut.

He joins a Yankees club well behind in the AL East but in the thick of the AL Wild Card race.

"It's going to be another special opportunity for me for these next three months," he said. "I'm just going to enjoy it."

Rizzo, who was in his 10th season with the Cubs, made three All-Star teams and won four Gold Glove Awards in Chicago. He hit 242 home runs, recently reaching sixth in franchise history.

The first baseman recently told NBC Sports Chicago he hoped to be a Cub for life. But he spent Thursday's loss to the Reds on the top step of the Cubs' dugout, out of the starting lineup, along with Bryant, another candidate to get traded.

Cubs fans were chanting, "We want Rizzo" near the end of Thursday's loss to Cincinnati.

As it turned out, Thursday was their last sight of him in a Cubs uniform.

"This city will be ingrained in my heart the rest of my life," Rizzo said.

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