The Diamondbacks were not mentioned in media reports until Friday. Letting Greinke walk sure seems like the kind of move Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi were used to making, or rather, not making, with other teams.
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Former Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke has signed a six-year, $206 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, pulling in a record-breaking salary.
Let that last part roll around in your head for a bit. Now, they will have a front-line pitcher to drape them over.
It is incredible to think that two of the premiere names of the offseason are signed before the beginning of the Winter Meetings, but that is how things have unfolded this year. The Dodgers want to move on from the Andre Ethiers, Carl Crawford and old deals that helped bloat their payroll and into a position where their young pipeline – from outfielder Joc Pederson to shortstop Corey Seager – defines them much more.
The Diamondbacks have added an elite starting pitcher, a bona fide staff ace, to lead an otherwise young (and inexpensive) rotation that includes Patrick Corbin, Robbie Ray, Chase Anderson and Rubby De La Rosa.
By all accounts, Greinke and his family liked Los Angeles.
Greinke is coming off the best season of his career.
How close the Giants came, or even if they offered a sixth year, was not immediately clear.
The Islanders improved to 10-2-1 against Western Conference teams this season and are 5-0-1 in their last six games.
Lackey, 37, had a 2.77 ERA in 33 starts for the St. Louis Cardinals this year. He’s a building block.
Greinke, of course, becomes that. Greinke has done that in each of the past three seasons. They could use one starter for sure and likely two.
Greinke’s contract would average $34.4 million per year, surpassing the seven-year, $217 million deal ($31 million average per year) that David Price signed this week with the Boston Red Sox. Another question that arises, then, is what impact that has on Arizona’s ability to construct the rest of its roster.
So call this the most deceptive curve ball Greinke’s ever thrown, and in his brilliant career, that’s saying a mouthful. I don’t know if they’ll contend in 2016, but they won’t be a pushover either.
A top priority of the Giants this off-season was to build up their rotation behind 2014 World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner. But they can’t be sure that Matt Cain (5.79 ERA in 60 2/3 innings last season) will be the guy who carried them to the 2012 title again. I believe that this contract will prove to be more than beneficial to both sides, and each party will be satisfied with the results. And you can only bring back the Jake Peavys and Ryan Vogelsongs for so long and get away with it. He reportedly turned down a $120 million over six years from the Diamondbacks last week, and now is looking pretty smart for it. Mike Leake, Jeff Samardzija, Kenta Maeda, Chad Billingsley? Or they must trade for a starter, because that’s how they have won before – pitching in their big ballpark, with runs cobbled together with resourceful, but less-than-overpowering, lineups.
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“It is more of what we are trying to do”.
