Could Greinke Pitch in New York?

So far the Yankees have not heard back from CC Sabathia and have not made formal offers to either Derek Lowe or AJ Burnett, but they have made calls to Kansas City to discuss pitcher Zack Greinke.

The 25-year-old came with great expectations after the former first round pick was rushed through the Royals system.

He struggled in his first two seasons going 13-28 before taking a leave of absence due to a social anxiety disorder. Since his return he is said to be doing a lot better on and off the field. His record over the past two seasons is 20-17, nothing spectacular, but also pretty good for someone who experienced such problems at such a young age.

In the past, even pitchers with strong wills have succumbed to the pressures of pitching in the Bronx. So it comes as some surprise that the Yankees are interested in the 6 foot 2, 185 pound righty. Nonetheless Mike Silva’s blog has reported that the Yankees have expressed interest in the pitcher.

It would be interesting to see who the Yankees would have to give up in order to get him, but before any deal is made they should request to speak to the young man first. I covered the Staten Island Yankees this summer and got to talk to his brother, pitcher Luke Greinke, and in our few conversations Luke seemed intimidated by our city.

The two of them are not exactly the big city types, but after a game on Aug. 16, where Zack shutdown the Bombers, I got a chance to talk to the pair on the Staten Island Ferry and both seemed more comfortable.

Due to injury, that was the last day I spoke with Luke so I was never able to follow up on how he was taking to the adjustment, but Zack’s comfort level in should certainly be a serious concern.

Beyond that I would have to imagine that a package to acquire Greinke would have to be steep. He made $1.4 million in 2008 and even though he should be expecting a raise, he is still very cost effective. Silva’s blog speculated they might bite on Melky Cabrera, but that is very doubtful since they just made a trade for Coco Crisp and have excess outfielders.

This actually seems like a deal where they would want a few quality arms and possibly somebody like Robinson Cano.

I don’t see the Yankees getting Greinke, but he’s a very good pitcher with a lot of upside and this is something to keep an eye on.