Zack Greinke likely to make decision between Dodgers, Giants this week
Zack Greinke entered the winter considered one of the top commodities available on the free agent market, though it sounds as though he’ll be off the market in a matter of hours or days.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that Greinke is expected to make a decision this week, with USA Today’s Bob Nightengale adding that the decision will come down to the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants.
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The two National League West division rivals currently sit with top-heavy rotations, featuring an ace and then high promise but unpredictability beyond that. Greinke would either join Madison Bumgarner or re-join Clayton Kershaw to form the arguably the best one-two punch in baseball, and whichever team lands him will likely stake an early claim as favorites to win the division until other moves are made.
Greinke finished second in National League Cy Young voting this past season, posting the lowest qualifying ERA (1.66) since Greg Maddux in 1995. The 32-year-old has picked up 51 wins over his last three seasons, receiving Cy Young votes in each, as well as two All Star Game appearances (2014, 2015), two Gold Glove awards (2014, 2015), MVP votes (2015) and a Silver Slugger (2013) in his time with the Dodgers.
Greinke’s also posted at least 200 strikeouts in each of the past two seasons, and posted a sub-3.00 ERA in all three of his seasons with the Dodgers. The team that lands the former Cy Young Award winner will also add a pitcher that’s been good for at least 28 starts every year since 2008, and that has posted an era above 4.00 just once in that stretch.
Next: Atlanta Braves interested in Jorge Soler
When the Greinke domino drops, the markets for Johnny Cueto and second-tier pitchers like Mike Leake, Jeff Samardzija, John Lackey, Wei-Yin Chen and Yovani Gallardo will likely start to heat up. Trade rumors regarding top pitchers like Sonny Gray and Jose Fernandez will also likely begin to start once again, as teams looking to bolster the top of their rotation place inquiries on the top arms potentially available.