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Los Angeles Dodgers’ Zack Greinke to opt out of contract, become free agent

By Tim Haberin

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Zack Greinke and his Los Angeles Dodgers were eliminated from the postseason last night by the New York Mets, but the star pitcher will soon have a shiny new contract to lift his spirits. Not that anyone expected otherwise, but according to a report from CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman, Greinke will opt out of his current deal and become a free agent.

The right-hander stood to make $71 million over the next three years, but he will undoubtedly sign a much more lucrative pact sometime in the following few months. Heyman says that one general manager told him Greinke should receive numerous offers in the five-year, $125 million range, but the top bid could exceed $150 million over five seasons.

That’s a whole lot of money, but Greinke certainly made a compelling case for it in 2015. He went 19-3 for the Boys in Blue, along with an MLB-leading 1.66 ERA and 0.84 WHIP. His 225 ERA+ was also the best mark among big league pitchers. His masterful performance during the regular season has made him a frontrunner to take home his second Cy Young Award.

Greinke wasn’t quite as dominant in the postseason but still turned in a strong showing overall. He went 1-1 in his two NLDS starts against the Mets, allowing five runs on eleven hits (including an uncharacteristic three homers) over the course of 13.2 innings. He also struck out 17 batters while walking just one.

According to Heyman, Greinke should generate interest from a wide array of big- and mid-market clubs, including the Giants, Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, Phillies, Marlins, Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Braves and Rangers. The Dodgers, no strangers to offseason spending of late, are of course expected to make an active effort to retain Greinke as well. Most of that list is comprised of the “usual suspects” though, so the actual market will likely not take shape until free agency begins in November.

Heyman also points out that Greinke’s age (he turns 32 next week) will likely deter teams from handing out monster-length contracts, keeping offers in the neighborhood of five or six years. Bidding wars have a way of making clubs abandon such inhibitions, though, so it should be interesting to see just what kind of deal Greinke secures in the end.

He won’t lack for company on the high-end pitching market either, with fellow aces David Price and Johnny Cueto also set to enter the free agency pool. The rumors and speculation should only intensify from here.

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