Zack Greinke Reportedly Agrees to Contract with Diamondbacks

Joseph ZuckerNov 30, 2015

Few pitchers on this year's free-agent market are more prized than Zack Greinke. After having his best season since winning the Cy Young Award in 2009, the veteran right-hander is reportedly going to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Continue for updates.

Diamondbacks and Greinke Reportedly Agree to Deal

Friday, Dec. 4

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported Greinke is headed to the Diamondbacks, pending a physical. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports confirmed the deal and reported it is a six-year contract. Rosenthal initially reported the Diamondbacks' interest Friday.

Dodgers Exploring Fallback Options

Friday, Dec. 4

Rosenthal reported the Dodgers are reaching out to Jeff Samardzija, Johnny Cueto and Scott Kazmir in case the team fails to land Greinke.

Giants or Dodgers Were Expected to Sign Greinke

Thursday, Dec. 3

Rosenthal reported Jeff Samardzija and Mike Leake would be the Plan B for the San Francisco Giants if they missed out on Greinke, and John Lackey remains an option.

On Dec. 2, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported the Giants or Los Angeles Dodgers were expected to sign Greinke "by the end of the week," and the Dodgers remained the favorite. Nightengale added Wednesday that Greinke was expected to sign a five-year contract worth "about" $160 million or a six-year pact worth $192 million.

Ahmed Fareed of CSN Bay Area added Tuesday that Greinke paid a visit to San Francisco, and reports of the team being heavily involved in the hunt were accurate at the time.

Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News reported one MLB executive heard "the Dodgers may give [Zack] Greinke six years for $210 million."

On Nov. 30, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reported both teams showed serious interest in signing Greinke this offseason.

Greinke Setting Price at $30 Million Annually

Monday, Nov. 30

While $30 million isn't an unreasonable salary for an ace in today's game, Crasnick wondered how much Greinke's age, 32, might impact any negotiations.

Greinke finished 2015 with a record of 19-3 and a 1.66 earned run average. According to FanGraphs, his FIP was a full run higher (2.76), but he still finished with the seventh-highest WAR (5.9) among all pitchers.

Even with his impressive record, you can understand why teams might balk at the idea of signing him to a five- or six-year deal, similar to Justin Verlander's extension. The New York Yankees haven't gotten a great return on CC Sabathia's eight-year, $186 million extension, either.

Greinke might well receive something approaching the annual salary he's initially asking, but he may have to compromise on the length of the contract.