While most of the attention this offseason has been directed to free agency, another interesting aspect of the winter features the potential for an active trade market across MLB.
That’s particularly true for teams in search of rotation help, as the Cleveland Indians are reportedly open to trading two of their better starting pitchers in Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco.
Another top-flight starting pitcher that is also said to available for the right price is Arizona Diamondbacks ace Zack Greinke. The 35-year-old is coming off a solid 2018 campaign in which he posted a 3.21 ERA with 199 strikeouts over 207.2 innings of work (33 starts).
With key players such as Patrick Corbin and A.J. Pollock reaching free agency, there’s speculation that the Diamondbacks could contemplate the idea of a rebuild. Names like Paul Goldschmidt and Greinke come to mind, though trading the latter will be easier said than done.
Greinke is still owed roughly $104.5 million over the next three seasons, and while Arizona is willing to pay some of that down, they haven’t generated much interest in recent years.
But in the wake of Clayton Kershaw receiving a new three-year extension worth $93 million with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Diamondbacks are increasingly confident that they’ll be able to move Greinke without providing much salary relief, via Jon Heyman of Fancred:
The D-Backs have to be willing to pay down the remaining three years by a bit, but they view the Clayton Kershaw extension that gives him $93 million over three years as proof they wouldn’t have to pay down Greinke by too much.
While the Diamondbacks are using Kershaw’s extension as a blueprint to a potential Greinke trade, it’s worth noting that the former is five years younger and still in his prime.
And even with Greinke still pitching at an elite level, the Diamondbacks may find it more difficult to trade him this offseason with an abundance of options available.
In addition to Kluber and Carrasco, the Seattle Mariners are also reportedly fielding offers for left-hander James Paxton.
