The chase for Zack Greinke appears to have quickly reached the final stages with David Price coming off the market on Tuesday.
Price’s seven-year, $217 million agreement with the Boston Red Sox — the richest contract given to a starting pitcher — reportedly has Greinke seeking a similar deal.
While Greinke may not get the same length given he’s two years older than Price, the right-handed is said to want a contract with a higher average annual value.
According to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News, one Major League Baseball executive believes the Dodgers will present Greinke with a six-year, $210 million contract offer:
One major-league executive said he's hearing the Dodgers may give Zack Greinke six years for $210 million, which would be $35 mil per year.
— Mark Feinsand (@FeinsandNYDN) December 2, 2015
Greinke is expected to decide between re-signing with the Dodgers or signing with the rival San Francisco Giants. Both teams are known to be in the market for an elite starting pitcher.
Greinke went 19-3 last season with MLB-bests 1.66 ERA, 225 ERA+ and 0.84 WHIP. He won a second consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove Award, and was named the National League Most Outstanding Pitcher by his peers.
Dodgers part owner Magic Johnson said on Tuesday re-signing Greinke is the club’s No. 1 priority this offseason.
After Greinke, the market of starting pitchers still available includes Johnny Cueto, Yovani Gallardo and Scott Kazmir, among others.
Jordan Zimmermann seemingly set the free-agency wheels in motion when he signed a five-year, $110 million contract with the Detroit Tigers.
