Zack Greinke has opted out of his contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers and now the pitcher is one of the top players on the free agent market this offseason. The Dodgers are considered favorites to sign Greinke, while teams like the NY Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks and Washington Nationals could be potential targets.
Greinke is coming off of a historic season with the Dodgers and he is considered to be the favorite for the Cy Young this year. According to CBS Sports, Greinke opted out of a six-year, $147 million deal with the Dodgers and now he has the chance to sign another free agent contract. Greinke went 19-3 with a 1.66 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 200 strikeouts in 222 2/3 innings last season and he is hitting the market at the age of 32.
Greinke is considered to be one of the top players on the market along with David Price, Johnny Cueto and Jordan Zimmermann among pitchers. Greinke had three years and $71 million left on his contract and he is expected to get much more than that when he signs a new deal. According to Jon Heyman at CBS Sports, Greinke could command a deal around $120 million on the market, as there are a number of teams with money to spend and a need for starting pitching.
The Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Yankees and Tigers all could be in the mix for Greinke, but the Dodgers are expected to make a hard push for Greinke to return. The Dodgers have money to spend and they still need a top starter alongside Clayton Kershaw and if they lose Greinke, they could go after Price. The San Francisco Giants have been mentioned as a landing spot for Greinke, as the team also has a need in the rotation and has shown a willingness to spend money. The team wants another frontline starter alongside Madison Bumgarner.
The Yankees may not want to spend a ton of money on big contracts this offseason, but Greinke has pitched very well and the team has a need in the rotation. Masahiro Tanaka has number one stuff, but injuries have kept him from being a reliable ace. The Yankees could look at Price or Greinke, while players like Mike Leake or Jeff Samardzija also could be options.
David Schoenfield at ESPN writes that the Dodgers are the favorite to sign Greinke, while teams like the Nationals, Cubs and Giants could be options. The article also lists the Arizona Diamondbacks as a sleeper option, as the team is looking to add a front line starter this offseason. The Giants have the money to spend and they could be a main rival to sign Greinke over the Dodgers.
