Zack Greinke: Analyzing Top Landing Spots for Milwaukee Brewers' Star Pitcher

The Milwaukee Brewers are set to part ways with 2009 Cy Young Award-winning pitcher Zack Greinke before this summer's trade deadline, according to CBSSports.com's baseball insider Danny Knobler.

Multiple teams are reportedly showing interest in the 28-year-old pitcher, who they hope can help them contend for a World Series championship this coming fall. 

Greinke is 9-3 this season in 21 starts, with a 3.44 ERA and 122 strikeouts, but will become a free agent at season's end.

It's all but a lock that Greinke will be traded before the 2012 deadline based on his current situation. With that being said, what does each potential landing spot have to offer Greinke? 

Let's take a closer look.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers look strong once again in 2012, but Zack Greinke could be the piece that finally gets them over the World Series hump. Texas has won the AL the last two seasons but has come up short in the MLB's championship series. Greinke would join a solid pitching staff that has allowed less than 400 runs through its first 97 games of the year.

As far as run support is concerned in Texas, Greinke would just have to be solid, not superb, considering that the Rangers are tied with the Toronto Blue Jays for most runs scored in 2012. Both teams have 488 nearing the trade deadline. With Yu Darvish and Matt Harrison pitching well through the season's first half, though, a third reliable option could be what puts Texas over the top.

Los Angeles Angels

Los Angeles is only five games back of the Texas Rangers in the AL West this summer but could still benefit from a trade bringing in Greinke. The Angels haven't won a World Series title since 2002 and now have the superstar at the plate to lead them there in Albert Pujols. All that is missing is a former Cy Young-winning pitcher to help them shut down the opposition's big bats.

With Jered Weaver and CJ Wilson already throwing incredible heat on the LA mound, Greinke could give them the complete staff they need to hunt down the Rangers before October arrives. Greinke certainly won't come cheap or easy for the Angels, but we are talking about a franchise that just locked themselves into a 10-year, $254 million deal with Pujols this past offseason. 

Atlanta Braves

The Braves are just five games out of the NL East lead and can easily climb past the Washington Nationals this summer if they can bolster their pitching staff. Atlanta has allowed 420 runs in 2012, compared to Washington's 341. If the Braves are to improve and become legitimate World Series contenders in the NL this fall, they need to break ground on a blockbuster trade that will bring in another strong arm to assist Tim Hudson and Tommy Hanson. 

Zack Greinke would win plenty of games pitching for one of the National League's top run-scoring teams this season. If Greinke could continue to allow less than four runs per outing with Atlanta, then he and the Braves would both be golden. 

Chicago White Sox

Like the Rangers, the Chicago White Sox lead their division and are looking to secure a dependable thrower to win them a few games in the postseason. The White Sox have allowed 411 runs this season and have lost five of their last eight games in July. Left-hander Chris Sale has been the only true bright spot on Chicago's pitching staff this season. Sale is 11-3 in 17 starts this season. 

Greinke would bolster a staff that has witnessed Jake Peavy and Gavin Floyd both flirt with .500 records in 2012. The combination of Sale, Peavy and Greinke come playoff time would easily give the White Sox a chance at winning their first World Series title since 2005. 

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