Los Angeles Dodgers ace Zack Greinke is reportedly going to opt out of his contract with the club and will test free agency. This was first reported by CBSSports.com. Greinke has three years and 71 million dollars remaining on the contract he signed back in 2013.
Greinke Likely To Be Offered Big Money
According to one general manager, Greinke should be getting multiple contract offers of over five years and north of $125 million, which was also reported by CBSSports.com. Despite having all that money left on the table, it was speculated that the 31-year-old would opt out.
Greinke With A Lights Out Year
Greinke, the Dodgers’ number two starter behind Clayton Kershaw, pitched like a number one for most of the year. At 31, he likely produced his finest performance in the Majors. He went 19-3 this year with a 1.66 ERA which was the best ERA in baseball and had the second-most wins behind the Chicago Cubs’ Jake Arrieta. He struck out 200 batters in 222.2 innings pitched this year.
This season, the right-hander produced one of the best months in baseball from late June to late July. Over that span, June 18-July 26 specifically, the 31-year-old pitched 45.2 consecutive scoreless innings, the fourth-longest in Major League history. The streak ended against the New York Mets, the team that would knock the Dodgers out of the playoffs, Batters only hit .124 against him in that time with only two baserunners reaching third base over that span.
Before he came to the Dodgers, Greinke pitched for the Kansas City Royals, the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Los Angeles Angels. He spent a majority of his 13-year career in Kansas City where he won his lone Cy Young in 2009. In his three years in Dodger blue, he has gone 51-15 with a 2.30 ERA with 555 strikeouts.