It has been talked about, but Zack Greinke's potential impending free agency will be a bigger topic of conversation once the trade deadline approaches. Is the right-hander planning to opt out of his contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers?
Greinke signed a six-year, $147 million contract with the Dodgers prior to the 2013 season, but there's a clause in the deal that allows him to opt out after the 2015 season if he wishes to do so. It was previously speculated he may take a risk and test the open market once more while his value is at its peak, and now the chances of it happening may have increased. Why?
On Saturday at the Dodgers' Fan Fest, Greinke spoke to reporters and revealed his opinion about the team heading into the 2015 season.
"In the playoffs last year, I thought our team was the best team in baseball," said Greinke, via Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. "Obviously, we didn't prove it. But I thought we were the best team in baseball. So, to say we're better than that [now], I don't know if you could say that ... When you change a team a lot, sometimes it takes a year, or a couple of months, to jell. It doesn't matter if you bring in the greatest guys in the world. It takes a little time to get used to them."
The right-hander has a point, but the team brought in a new front office to manage their roster in a different manner. After having the highest payroll in two of the past three seasons and nothing to show for it, the Dodgers hired Andrew Friedman (President of Baseball Operaitons) from the Tampa Bay Rays and Farhan Zaidi (General Manager) from the Oakland Athletics to provide a more cost-effective approach to player personnel. This resulted in the team trading outfielder Matt Kemp, second baseman Dee Gordon and starting pitcher Dan Haren as well as letting shortstop Hanley Ramirez walk in free agency, among other moves.
They added a few more names, such as shortstop Jimmy Rollins, second baseman Howie Kendrick and starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy, but that doesn't seem to have Greinke convinced. If the team doesn't perform as well as he expects in 2015 and he's not on board with the front office's future plans, will he opt out after the season and look to sign another contract elsewhere?
The 31-year-old is 32-12 with a 2.68 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in two seasons with Los Angeles and also has had good things to say about the city and organization.
"I do know I have really enjoyed L.A. I don't think you could get a better organization," he added. "The owners are amazing. Our front office is, by reputation, the best - or at least in the top three in the game. Our coaching staff is great too. There's not really any better options anywhere besides here."
However, with Greinke's comments implying the team may have gotten worse and the recent turn of events that landed Max Scherzer a seven-year, $210 million contract with the Washington Nationals, the whole opt-out situation will need to be taken seriously by the Dodgers.
After dumping a few players they deemed too costly based on their output, the Dodgers might be losing one whose output is definitely worth the money.
