8
2012
Zack Greinke Agrees To 6 Year, $147M Deal With Dodgers
An article by 
The Dodgers and Zack Greinke have agreed to a six-year, $147 million contract, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The deal is pending a physical.
Greinke, 29, went 15-5 last season for the Brewers and Angels with a 3.48 ERA in 34 starts.
If you’ve already had your fill of R.A. Dickey rumors, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
Bloggers who know a lot more than I do say that teams are going to get desperate now and cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.
We’ll see…
Original Post 9:00 AM
Jim Bowden of ESPN tweeted that free agent starter Zack Greinke was “blown away” by the offer from Nolan Ryan and the Rangers Front Office.
Greinke said he loves the Rangers roster and their minor league prospects, and is turned on by their chances to win a World Series.
Meanwhile it looks like both the Dodgers and Angels are retreating from the chase to sign Greinke.
According to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, Greinke talks have reached a “critical stage” and the Dodgers are now considering bowing out and moving on to other pursuits. Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti offered a pessimistic response when asked whether the club was close to signing Greinke.
“We’re not on the front lawn.We’re barely out of the car at the curb. It’s better than driving around the neighborhood looking for the house. We know where the house is located. We just can’t seem to get out of the car.”
Bowden also adds that according to a source there will be no last minute strike by the Angels to land Greinke like they did last year for Pujols. VERY UNLIKELY, is how he puts it.
Once Greinke signs and is off the market, it is expected to usher in a phase of depravity and desperation unlike anything we’ve ever seen before in prior offseasons.
It is exactly what Sandy Alderson has been waiting for as he dangles R.A. Dickey in front of a pack of ravenous and voracious wild dogs who all hunger for the taste of his flesh.
At least that’s what some fans and bloggers think. 
“I think I see a knuckleballer all alone and in distress.” “What’s a knuckleballer?”
About the Author: Joe DeCaro
I'm a lifelong Mets fan who loves writing and talking about the Amazins' 24/7. From the Miracle in 1969 to the magic of 1986, and even the near misses in '73 and '00, I've experienced it all - the highs and the lows. I started Mets Merized Online in 2005 to feed my addiction. Follow me on Twitter @metsmerized.
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The Rangers are ridiculous. No idea how they didn’t win 100 games last year.
Wish Nolan Ryan was our owner instead of theirs.
R.A. Dickey + the Wilpons for Nolan Ryan? This needs to happen.
but really how about dickey for craig gentry+robbie ross?
Jon Daniels and Nolan Ryan for Sandy Alderson,The Wilpons, a bottle of Jack Daniels plus a box of assorted chocolates.
THIS!
Because Hamilton quit in the 2nd half and down the stretch?
Wake me up when he is signed, enoigh of this drama queen nonsense already.
Well, back about 4 years ago i loved the idea of having greinke, but if there’s a guy who is overrated as hell (Besides you know who) is this guy. He’s not worth all that money, he won a cy young and was dominant, but that year the NL Central was as weak as they come, he does posses great stuff, but i don’t see how this guy is worth all that money, i get that the market for pitching is weak, but damn.. he’s avg 14 wins the past 4 years, and his ERA of 3.48 is not something to drool about, hell, the Nats just got dan haren who basically is the same pitcher for $13 million on a one year deal, not sure Greinke who i loved is worth all that much…
BTW, in the playoffs in 3 games he’s had this line in case you’re looking for someone to get you over the top..:
3 GS 16.2 IP 23 HITS 12 ER 4 BB 13 K 1.620 WHIP 6.48 ERA
Not exactly ACE like Numbers on a pitcher…
Greinke is NOT an ace. He is a good pitcher but not top end except the for contract he is going to get.
Who doesnt fit in this list:
CC
King Felix
Verlander
Greinke
Yet he will be in their class with his paycheck.
It’s kinda odd or funny or sad that who ever wins Grienke’s services comes out as the loser. He really has had only one good year as mentioned. Outside of that he is a solid guy but I agree not an ace. The money being spent on healthy pitchers is insane. This is why I propose that the Mets hold onto their pitchers unless blown away for Dickey. I would not trade Niese unless the return was an established big league outfielder who was under team control for a couple years, possibly Gordon.
Not Gordon, for Pete’s sake. We need a right handed power, RBI guy.
I’m really floored by some of these contracts being given out. Either they’re an overpay in money, in years – or in both.
You will get a THIS if you’re capable of mentioning the last contract that was like that
Zito said what
Uhhh! How about all of them!!! I’m sorry but in a world where Victorino get $39 Mil for 3yrs., Napoli gets the same and Angel gets 4years $40million, Wright’s deal is a flat out bargain! I know Alex, he sucks, most overrated player ever, they should bring back Greg Jeffries instead, YAWN!!! I get you don’t like him! Move on! I know you will bring up some ridiculous stat proven your hatred for him that completely ignores anything he ever did. Great! Your Right! He Sucks! We all wish he never existed! Move the F On!
If wright had a 4 year deal instead of a 8 year deal, it would be a bit easier to move…
Question:
What happens if Wright really stinks the joint up in his 3rd year…
Do you think the wilpons allow the manager to bench him ?
Just,
Not sure why I’m even engaging in this but I would hope they would allow him to be benched. Why does he really stir up such venom? He’s an excellent (I don’t care what metric you use he certainly falls in that column) He’s a gamer, he doesn’t do things to embarass the organization, he’s home grown, and he’s one of ours. I understand now why many athletes don’t want to play in NY.
If! If! If! If my aunt had balls, she’d be my uncle!
Whenever the Mets pay big money for a product or have a lot of hype in a draft pick, they seem to make moves based on what the reaction they anticipate will be rather than what is right for the club.
not a knock on Wright, but one on the owners
Thank You!
“$20 says the Dodgers will snatch up either Shields or Greinke”
-Hitman, December 6, 2012
BOOM.
I’m almost expecting Shields to go to Texas now, which leads to KC coming back into the conversation about Dickey.
Looking at all the factors (recent performance, contract $ and length) I really don’t see why teams would not much rather have Dickey over Shields.
@JimBowdenESPNxm
Zack Greinke and Dodgers agree on 6-year $145 million deal as first reported by Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times
https://twitter.com/JimBowdenESPNxm/statuses/277593651348115457
Hope you bet that $20 Hitman. It paid off.
According to the below site if the reports are true and Greinke signed a 6 yr $145M deal it would make Greinke the richest right-handed pitcher ever, topping the six-year, $127.5 million extension Matt Cain signed with the Giants before the season.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/texas-rangers/headlines/20121208-report-dodgers-have-verbal-agreement-with-rangers-target-zack-greinke.ece
I can tell you who I would rather have.even if the money was even. And it isn’t Grienke.
Now playing right field for your New york Mets “Mike Olt”.
Hope he can do a better job than Duda.
How about putting Wright in RF so Olt can handle 3rd base, like he is used to do. I think the fans can handle a few errors from Wright in RF.
Dickey for Olt plus two more prospects within two weeks…
I’d say one week because Jon Daniels moves so quick, but you have to counter that with the snail’s pace that Alderson brings to the table. This type of deal would usually take Sandy 3 months of calculations and Daniels 5 minutes; so when I calculate the scientific ramifications of these two GM’s processes, I get two weeks.
The dodgers are about to get a 6 billion dollar deal that covers 25 yrs for their television deal. That comes to 240 million a year for 25 years. So… They can afford whoever they want and more.
What I want to know, is why do the Mets and Yankees both receive less then 100 million a year to broadcast their games? I know they’re locked into TV contract, but since they own the tv station, shouldn’t they still have all that extra cash when you consider that their in a market equal to or greater than LA?
Wouldn’t you like to know the Met’s true financial standing: TV revenue, gate receipts, parking, concessions, etc. Why do I think it’s a helluva lot more than their expenditures? And what exactly is the 2013 salaries at this moment.?
If Wilpon wants to fill the seats, he better invest some cash. It works for the Yankees.
I think this is a great deal, actually. I think Greinke is an excellent, ace-type pitcher and a six year deal is the perfect length.
I would have bet you wouldn’t like this deal. I think it’s a fair deal.
Joe, it appears I think more highly of Greinke than the masses. And six years for a 29-year-old is pretty safe. I’d have a different opinion of this deal were for eight years.
X, If memory serves you rarely make comments like this without some kind of statistical back-up. In my view, outside of Grienke’s cy young year, he is a mid of the rotation pitcher. If his deal is for 147 then he got more for his mid 3 ERA and one cy young year than Santana got and he was truely dominant over several years. This contract make the Niese deal look like highway robbery.
Fair enough. When Greinke pitched with the Royals, they were the worst defensive team in the entire league in 2010, 2009, and the fourth worst in 2008. So when you cite his mid-3 ERA, you’re probably talking about an ERA right around 3 for even an average defense. The Dodgers played above average defense in 2012, and added to the switch to the NL West from the AL, I’m guessing a “normal” Greinke season will likely produce a 2.80-2.90 ERA. So there’s that.
As far as his deal for $147 mil compared to $137.5 for Johan, Santana’s deal was signed five years ago. I’m not an economist, but I’m sure when you factor in inflation, a $10 mil increase over the length of the deal five years later is at least the same, if not more frugal.
And the Niese deal IS highway robbery.
I can understand a correction for park factor and defense but His time in the NL Central wasn’t spectacular either. His whip has never been below 1 were Santana had three sub 1 whip years. As far as inflation goes, it is hard to pin down because of market fluctuations over the past several years. I do understand that salaries go up as a trend but even considering that his salary is about equal to Santana and they were way not equal in talent. The Dodgers aren’t my team and with our current finances I doubt the Mets will be looking for a front line starter any time soon but what does this say for the value of Dickey. IMO Dickey has been a better pitcher than Grienke for the past three years so the only issue is his age. It just seems ludicrous to pay that much for a #2 starter.
In 2011 with the Brewers, a notorious hitter’s park, his FIP was 2.98 and his xFIP was 2.56. Again, his defense failed him in a hitter’s park. The Dodgers play decent defense in a pitcher’s park. I’m not suggesting he’s better than Johan, I just think this deal is very fair.
Niese wasn’t a free agent.
I love all the people who were worried about Greinke being in a big market, apparently, Zack’s ok with it. That said, the Dodgers are nuts. I love how they really don’t care. I mean every team is scrambling to get under $189MM and they’re like…we want an all-star at every position. It’s refreshing to see owners in the game to win. The pendulum has shifted to everyone only thinking about money…the Dodgers realize that if they win, the money will come.
This said, I am wary of the impending Dickey trade. I think unless the Mets net a top ten hitting prospect in all of baseball, they shouldn’t make the deal. We were a 74 win team with Dickey, I’m scared to see where we are without Dickey.
Even though L.A. is a big market town, the fans are so laid back that it might enable Greinke to deal with his problems of anxiety. But it could also be a case that Zack has been able to learn how to cope with the demons that push him through many years of counseling.
Having Kershaw there also helps in many ways, he’s maybe baseball’s best pitcher not named Verlander, he’s been with the Dodgers for a while, and he can be the face of Dodgers pitching. Even still, the Dodgers made this deal based on how good he is, how good he projects to be, and how good his health (physical and mental) is.
Insane in the membrane!
If Shields goes to the Rangers, KC will come crying back to us lol. I hope we can get Wil Meyers.
Or they can sign Anibal Sanchez who they are now negotiating with and like very much.
Damn it….. Some team will come crying to us though.
Zack attack!!! How long until he’s dating Alyssa Milano? Clayton, Grienki, Gonzalez, and their CF who’s name escapes me are a great core. SF better watch out!
Their CF is Matt Kemp.
How in the world do you forget about Matt Kemp?
Are Edwin Jackson and Kyle Lohse still available?
RA Dickey and Sandy Alderson are on the clock
I hope Sandy gets a deal that nets us a OF with pop. That would be our Christmas present for the team. Wil Meyers would be great.
Wonder how the season ticket sales are doing with all this news.
Kemp!!! I could picture his face and everything, but his name was at the tip of my tongue…and damn it, I just could deliver the syllable. Kemp, there I said it.
It certainly makes a Dickey to TEX deal a lot more likely.
Dickey & Duda for Mike Olt, OF Leonys Martin and IF Rougned Odor (cool name) would be a really nice trade.
Re-sign Hairston with the money saved on RA and have Olt in LF, Martin in CF and Nieuwenhuis / Hairston platoon in RF.
It will be interesting to see if this all-star (mercenary) Dodgers team can unseat the Giants who have built mainly throught thier system. It worked once for florida but has failed many other times.
The dodgers bought the team for 2.15 billion…and immediately got a 6 billion tv deal
their 6 billion tv deal works out to 240 mil per year…for 25 years…
of that 240, a good chunk of that goes to all 30 teams, the mets are making 30 mil a year off of that deal…
the mets are making 20 mil off of citigroup
the mets are making 30 mil off of mlbam rev sharing
the mets are making at least 100 mil in mlb rev sharing BEFORE we even talk about the money they get from SNY
Of the $240M, the Mets are making $30M (1/8)?
I think you might want to recheck the numbers.
Plus tv deals go towards the teams local net revenue and is eligible for the revenue sharing which I believe is 31%. So the Dodgers have to fork over roughly $80M.
Plus the Mets, being a top 15 market team, end up being a net revenue payer.
The Dodgers to me will end up being that great “money doesn’t buy you titles” story
The Yankees are trying to get UNDER a $ amount to avoid paying a higher tax – the Dodgers are foolishly volunteering to pay that tax. Right now the Dodgers are at 164m guaranteed in 2014 and that doesn’t include Kershaw and their closer Jansen. Kershaw in final year of arby so you know he has to get paid.
They just signed Hyun-Jin Ryu to 36/6 which means they have
Greinke, Kershaw, Billingsley, Beckett, Lilly, Capuano and Harang
That’s 8 starting pitchers. Something’s gotta give.
The big difference is that the Yankees will be 4 time luxury tax losers while the dodgers will have one mark against them. A big difference between 15% and 50% plus all the money sacrificed elsewhere in the CBA.
Hi Jessup,
With all that starting pitching, L.A. might already be thinking ahead to the post season. Many teams now take the regular season for granted with one of every three making it past game 162, meaning even in an off-year there is still a good chance of playing October baseball. That was the reason many gave for the Yankees signing Sabathia – not that the Yankees needed him to help them get into the post-season but what he could do for them from that point on.
With all the money being made in baseball with television rights, etc., overspending is not a financial concern for many. And with the new playoff system, for certain teams the regular season a not competitive concern as well.
It seems to me the regular season became more important with the addition of the new wild card system. Winning the division is again important since being a WC winner only means you are guaranteed a one game shoot out. Teams now have incentive to go for the division; there is just too great a chance of a Bucky Dent moment in a one game playoff.
Hi Taskmaster,
But keep in mind, even with the one game play-in, four of those five teams do make it to the post-season and all then start off with an even slate. Winning the division has become more desirable but the wild card is still there as a cushion to fall back on.
I don’t think the cushion works, however, when a team blows a lead and loses the division on the final day like we saw with Texas. I think the emotional impact was too much for the Rangers to overcome.
There’s no way that teams plays all season with 8 starting pitchers. Some have to go to the pen and others have to go to the minors. Easier said than done
Hi Jessep,
I agree with you – was just addressing other aspects.
Too many starting pitchers can also lead to dissension within the ranks. Other than the Yankees and A’s of the seventies I do not know of teams that were successful with disharmony in the clubhouse.
why not trade capuano and harang for some prospects. that leaves 6, but somebody’s inevitably going to get hurt in spring training or april so there you go.