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CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs have viewed Anthony Rizzo as a part of their future since they acquired him. Now hes locked in. The slugging first baseman and the Cubs agreed Monday to a $41 million, seven-year contract that could be worth up to $68 million over nine seasons. "We believe in Anthony," general manager Jed Hoyer said. "We think hes going to be a very big part of our future here in Chicago, and were excited to get a deal done. The 23-year-old is hitting .280 with a .352 on-base percentage. He also has nine home runs and 28 RBIs in his third major league season. Rizzo realized that he was taking "maybe a little bit of a discount now" but said "its security for now and its a huge weight off my shoulder, my familys shoulders, my kids shoulders, my grandkids shoulders." Hoyer said talks for a new deal began with about two weeks left in spring training but were halted before opening day. They restarted less than two weeks ago. Rizzo gets a $2 million signing bonus, of which $250,000 is payable within 30 days of the contracts approval by Major League Baseball and $1.75 million is payable next Jan. 15. He receives a $750,000 salary this year, up from $498,000 under the agreement he reached in March. He then will earn $1.25 million next year, $5 million apiece in 2015 and 2016, $7 million each in 2017 and 2018 and $11 million in 2019. Chicago has a $14.5 million option for 2020 with a $2 million buyout. If that is exercised, the Cubs will have a $14.5 million for 2021 with a $2 million buyout. "This day has come so fast," Rizzo said. "Looking back on it, when I was a young kid dreaming of this day, its a surreal moment." With chairman Tom Ricketts and president of baseball operations Theo Epstein watching, the Cubs announced a deal that has the highest average annual value ($5,857,143) for a position player with less than two years of major league service. Among pitchers in that service group, Seattles Hisashi Iwakuma ($7 million), Torontos Ricky Romero ($6.02 million) and San Franciscos Madison Bumgarner ($5,592,667) have higher averages. "I think its a great matchup for both sides," Hoyer said. "It is unusual that it is early, but I think our knowledge of Anthony and our belief in him as a person makes that possible." Hoyer declined to say if the Cubs are negotiating new deals with other players, but said he "certainly" hopes there are others who follow Rizzo. Rizzo was selected out of high school in the sixth round of the 2007 amateur draft by Boston, a time when Epstein and Hoyer were running the Red Sox front office. Hoyer was the Padres general manager when San Diego dealt for Rizzo. He was treated for Hodgkins lymphoma in 2008 and played only 21 games that season. He recovered, became a top prospect and was dealt to San Diego in December 2010 as part of the Adrian Gonzalez trade. Rizzo then played 49 games for the Padres in 2011 but struggled, hitting .141 with one homer and RBIs. He was traded to Chicago in January 2012 for Andrew Cashner. Rizzo was batting just .173 heading into the game at Miami on April 26. He hit a 420-foot home run to centre and a 413-foot shot to the upper deck in right field that day for his second career two-homer game. It also gave him eight for the season, the most by a Cubs left-handed hitter in April. Last August, the Cubs gave shortstop Starlin Castro a $60 million, seven-year contract. "I feel happy because I feel like I have him and me for a long time here," Castro said. And manager Dale Sveum thought the deal bodes well for a team without a World Series title since 1908. Its pretty important to all of us, the city, the organization, to have somebody like that locked up for that long," he said. NOTES: If an option is declined, the buyout is payable the following Jan. 15. If he wins the NL MVP or finishes among the top five in MVP voting at least twice, his 2019 salary increases to $12 million and the option prices go up to $16.5 million. In addition, if he finishes among the top two in NL MVP voting in any year through 2019 and then is traded, he can void the 2021 option. Rizzo also gets a hotel suite for road trips. His deal was negotiated by agent Marc Pollack of Sports One Athlete Management.Ryan Anderson Suns Jersey . Bryzgalov stopped 25 shots on Saturday in the Oklahoma City Barons 4-1 victory over the Abbotsford Heat. The Oilers signed Bryzgalov to a one-year $2 million contract last Friday after shedding payroll by dealing defenceman Ladislav Smid to the Flames. Frank Kaminsky Jersey .500 on the season. The Jets are now 0-5-1 in the second game of back-to-backs. The game started the same way the Vancouver game started the night before, with the Jets taking the first two penalties of the game and killing off the first, but the Oilers getting on the board first, scoring on the second man-advantage. https://www.thesunslockerroom.com/Grant-Hill-City-Edition-Jersey/ . The catch: It needs a lot of money, and it needs it fast. Ricky Rubio Jersey . Thats not a comment on the suspension that banished the Portland Winterhawks general manager and coach from his Western Hockey League teams bench for most of the 2012-13 season. Jason Kidd Jersey . 1, meaning problems for the doping controls at both major international sports events next year. The World Anti-Doping Agency provisionally suspended the Moscow Antidoping Center on Sunday, saying its operations must improve or a six-month ban on the facilitys accreditation will be imposed.Johnathan Thurston wont be setting foot on a pitch in England ever again after Sundays (Monday 0130 AEDT) Four Nations final at Anfield but is desperate to maintain his unbeaten record on UK soil.Thurston, along with Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Greg Inglis, are all on their fourth tour of the UK and none have ever been on the losing side.A 20-all draw with New Zealand in 2009 is the closest theyve come to defeat in the 14 matches theyve played in the green and gold.Thurston will retire from representative football after the Rugby League World Cup next year in Australia and said Sundays decider against the Kiwis at the home of Liverpool FC would be the perfect place to finish.Im not really a soccer fan but I am well aware of Anfield, these types of ground are well known around the world and it would be a great place to win, Thurston said.Its certainly going to be my last tour here. Its something Ive thought about a little bit, but my minndset is all about my preparation and getting myself right.ddddddddddddve said already I will finish up from rep footy in 2017 but my focus is just about winning this match against the Kiwis.Thurston has only tasted defeat twice in his 36-match international career, both against New Zealand in the 2008 World Cup final and in the Anzac Test in 2015.Although the Kangaroos have looked the far more impressive side in this competition, the 33-year-old said there are no secrets between the two sides.Both teams know all about each other, a lot of us play together at club footy and we know how dangerous they are and they will say the same about us, Thurston said.If we dont perform as well as we did against England then we could well lose.They are full of great players and ranked No.1 in the world but we want that prize. ' ' '