Greinke is the reigning NL Cy Young runner-up after finishing last season 19-3 with a 1.66 ERA and 0.84 WHIP.
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Greinke opted out of the final three years and $77 million of his contract with the Dodgers in October.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Friday night because there hadn’t been an official announcement. Fox Sports first reported an agreement. The deal includes $60 million in deferred money that will be paid out in the five years following the contract. The $34.4 million average will be the sport’s highest, topping Price’s $31 million. Instead, the Diamondbacks reeled in an even bigger prize.
When the best pitcher on the free agent market agreed to a six-year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday, the balance of power shifted from the California coast – both Southern and Northern – to the tip of the Sonoran desert.
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The team did not say what kind of cancer the former A’s general manager has. He’s the career leader in home runs with 762 and a seven-time NL MVP. The question could be asked over and over again in the coming months and years, particularly if the Dodgers fail to end their World Series drought.
The deal is still pending a physical, but if all goes according to plan, the National League West will look a little bit different in the wake of this signing. The contract gives Price the right to opt out after three seasons. The St. Louis Cardinals have been connected to Leake as well and need a rotation replacement for John Lackey, who is poised to sign a two-year deal with the Cubs. Reports have surfaced that Zack Greinke has decided that he wants to spend the next six years of his Major League Baseball career with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
With the free-agent pitching crop thinning out at the top, a valuable second-tier starter such as Mike Leake may see his market pick up heading into the winter meetings.
Greinke’s departure frees Friedman from concerns that roster flexibility will one day be limited because of an underperforming 38-year-old pitcher making $30-plus million. The Arizona starting rotation was among the worst in the National League last season, but with Greinke being at the top of the rotation that’s bound to change.
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Kershaw’s move to the Diamondbacks was considered a surprise considering the team’s lack of postseason success in recent years.
