The Cubs Revolving Door Of Bad First Baseman, Post Anthony Rizzo

Anthony Rizzo returned to Wrigley Field for the first time since his 2021 trade and received a well-earned ovation for his contributions to the Cubs. The production he provided is not in question. How successful were the Cubs in trying to replace it?

The answer may not surprise you, but the stats and the volume of attempts certainly will.

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Tony.

44.

Rizz.

Captain.

1/2 of Bryzzo.

Anthony Rizzo has many nicknames and monikers that fans associate with the man who stabilized first base for ten years. Can you blame them? In his ten years with the Cubs, he put up an .861 OPS and a 130 wRC+ with 242 memorable home runs; some even came from the lead-off spot to boost the team.

How do you replace a legend?

Beyond the personality void that needed to be filled, the ideal scenario would be having a replacement-level player at first base while making up for his offensive contributions all over the diamond.

Seems simple to do, right?

Not so much.

In the following years, after Rizzo's departure, the Cubs were the second-worst producer at first base in baseball, turning one of the team's strengths into a significant weakness. It wasn't for lack of trying, as the Cubs deployed nine different players in two years to address the issue.

Can you name four of them?

I, for one, did not realize the extent to which the Cubs attempted to address production.

Since 2021, the Cubs have deployed nine players (not counting Cody Bellinger's time at first base) to aggregate their poor first base production. The names below cost dollars and prospects in some cases, hurting this organization as they continued to hunt for a solution. Trey Mancini is still being paid this season, which is detrimental for a team using the first level of the competitive balance tax tiers as a hard cap.

All in all, Michael Busch took a minute to get here, but the production is welcomed and needed. He has developed into a solid player that has solidified a problem area for the Cubs after the departure of "The Captain."

What do you think about the Cubs First Base woes? Do you think Michael Busch is the answer? For more context and insight, check out the latest episode of Bricks Behind the Ivy!