SAN DIEGO -- Anthony Rizzo was one of the first major acquisitions of Theo Epstein's tenure as the Cubs' president of baseball operations. The first baseman rose to the big leagues in the midst of a rebuild and eventually caught the final out of the World Series that ended more than a century's worth of championship drought for the franchise in 2016.

Rizzo is already an icon for the Cubs, but he is also on a path to free agency after the 2021 campaign, assuming the team picks up his $16.5 million option for that season. That makes him a prime candidate for a contract extension, but ESPN reported Wednesday morning that the Cubs will not be offering him a multiyear deal in the immediate future.

Epstein said that does not close the door in keeping Rizzo in the fold for years to come.

"I think he's a big part of the next chapter and the solution," Epstein said on Wednesday at the Winter Meetings.

While Epstein does not typically comment on extension talks, he addressed the report about Rizzo in general terms with reporters in the team's suite at the Manchester Grand Hyatt. What it comes down to at the moment is that the Cubs and Rizzo's camp are not aligned when it comes to the potential length of an extension.

Epstein declined to delve into the specifics of the early discussions with Rizzo's representatives, but one needs only to look to last spring for an example of a long-term pact for a similar player. After acquiring first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, the Cardinals gave him a five-year, $130 extension that covered the 2020-24 seasons. Goldschmidt was 31 at the time. Rizzo will turn 31 in August.

For now, the Cubs know they have Rizzo under control in 2020 and '21, barring something drastic. His 2021 team option comes with a $2 million buyout.

"We talk to our players and their representatives periodically about this type of thing," Epstein said. "And usually when there's a sense of some common ground on length or a chance at common ground at length, then the conversations move forward and get more specific, and then sometimes there's an offer."

"So, the fact that, in a given instance, if there was no offer made, it probably means there weren't deeper conversations, which probably means there wasn't much common ground on length, which is not uncommon when a player is more than a year away from free agency."

Epstein also wanted to make it clear that, even if talks are stalled at the moment, that "doesn't necessarily reflect a lack of interest."

"The way I look at him is he's a special player and has done so much for the organization and the city," Epstein said. "He's not a free agent. He's not at risk of going anywhere right now. So, I know the story raised some alarms, but he's under control here for two more years, which we're thrilled about. There will be lots of opportunities to talk about continuing the relationship."

Epstein also said there were no hard feelings that Rizzo's agent, Marc Pollack, informed ESPN that the Cubs would not be offering an extension at this time.

"No, I think the relationship's fine," Epstein said. "It's not the outcome that they were looking for, and I understand if there was a potential for hurt feelings, but it's not always going to be high fives and celebration. We've got a lot of work to do."