Zack Greinke signed a six-year, $147 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to the 2013 season and was granted an opt-out clause after 2015. Rumors suggest he's going to exercise that clause and hit free agency at the end of the year.
While nothing is set in stone, conventional wisdom errs on the side of Greinke doing such because he's having a career year and this will be his final chance to land another lucrative long-term contract before he gets too old. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported in early May that rival executives expect the right-hander to opt out.
Greinke, 31, is 5-1 with a 1.92 ERA, 0.954 WHIP and 68 strikeouts in 12 starts (79 2/3 innings) this season and owns a tremendous cumulative record of 37-13 with a 2.55 ERA and 1.103 WHIP with the Dodgers since 2013.
"Greinke's leverage is apparently building, partly because of what he's done and partly because of how the free-agent class of pitchers is taking shape," writes ESPN Insider Buster Olney.
"If Greinke threatens to opt out of the rest of his contract, they could tell Greinke thank-you and feel good that they got three of his best seasons in the prime of his career. They could then take the money they would've spent on Greinke and invest it in a younger pitcher, like Cueto or Price (both are 29)."
Of course that's one option. Many more remain, but as the free agent market for pitchers continues to dwindle because of injury concerns (Cueto, Scott Kazmir, Doug Fister) and uncharacteristic campaigns (Jeff Samardzija), the Dodgers could very well give Greinke the money he wants and keep him.
Los Angeles has previously been linked to Cueto, but the right-hander experienced tightness in his elbow, which an MRI discovered as inflammation, a couple of weeks ago. Rumors have since indicated executives were backing off of trade talks with the Cincinnati Reds.
As a result, that could make Price the leading candidate to fill Greinke's spot if he were to depart and leave his final three years and $77 million on the table. Price was drafted by Dodgers' president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman back when the two were with the Tampa Bay Rays. Is this the most likely option if Los Angeles is tasked with signing a top starting pitcher?
"Speaking of free agents to be, Detroit is 9-1 when David Price starts, but while the Tigers would love to sign him, word is they aren't overwhelmingly confident they'll be able to keep him long-term," Heyman added in his column at the end of May.
Price told FOX Sports' Jon Morosi that winning and a team's culture are the two most important aspects he'll consider if he hits free agency. "I want to have fun," he said.
Well, the Dodgers do have a convivial, team-oriented culture under manager Don Mattingly and they're certainly a winning franchise.
We'll have to wait and see with what happens with Greinke before the Dodgers begin exploring options outside of the organization.
