TAMPA, Fla. — Raise your hand if you’ve been busy bashing Hal Steinbrenner for the last few years. You know who you are. You think George’s kid has been too soft, too cheap, too afraid to live up to his father’s giant legacy. Those are damning indictments from an army of haters. But hold on, Hal might not be a pushover after all.

New York Yankees free agent Anthony Rizzo understands that he very well could be forced into retirement this spring. The veteran first baseman had his $17 million club option declined by the Yankees at the end of last season.