Heading into last offseason the Los Angeles Dodgers were widely viewed as the prohibitive favorite to sign Zack Greinke. That was understandable given their deep pockets and desire to win.
The race for Greinke’s services at one point boiled down to Dodgers and rival San Francisco Giants. It’s believed the right-hander was on the verge of re-signing with Los Angeles.
However, the Arizona Diamondbacks made a late entry into sweepstakes with a stunning offer — six years, $206.5 million.
Greinke bolted to the desert, inking a deal that set the Major League Baseball record for highest annual average at $34.42 million. Greinke’s contract also includes over $60 million in deferred salaries.
The Diamondbacks’ splashy offseason hasn’t translated to expected results as they’re 57-77 and 18 games out of first place in the National League West.
Although nothing came of it prior to the midnight Eastern Time deadline for players to be moved and still remain eligible for postseason play, the Dodgers and Diamondbacks discussed a Greinke trade, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports:
But the Dodgers expressed interest in trading for the Diamondbacks right-hander before Wednesday night’s deadline for players to become eligible for postseason rosters, according to major-league sources. The discussions were not substantive and did not advance, sources said.
After a career year in 2015, Greinke got off to a poor start this season. He’s since better resembled his usual form and is 12-4 with a 4.17 ERA, 3.64 FIP and 1.24 WHIP over 22 starts. He spent time on the disabled list with an oblique strain.
Since returning, Greinke is 3-1 with a 5.10 ERA in eight starts. He’s owed $172.5 million over the next five seasons. What’s more, the 32-year-old is due installments of $3 million for signing bonus on each May 31.
Given Greinke’s drop off from last season, any trade would presumably require the Diamondbacks to pick up a substantial amount of his remaining salary. That may very well serve as a hindrance to any chances of Arizona moving their right-hander.
