The Los Angeles Dodgers may lose one of their starting pitchers as veteran Zack Greinke is reportedly expected to opt out of his current contract with the club to look for a better deal as a free agent.
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports first reported the news regarding Greinke leaving the Dodgers still with three years remaining in his contract, which will earn him $71 million.
Heyman mentioned in his report that a general manager said Greinke can receive offers which may reach around $125–$150 million for the course of five years or more, much better than his current deal with Los Angeles which is worth $147 million for six years.
Greinke is set to turn 32 this Wednesday and with his age being a factor, it is unlikely that he will be getting an offer around $200 million, according to Heyman
This season, the three-time All-Star helped the Dodgers to the postseason but were eliminated in their National League Division Series (NLDS) against the New York Mets.
In the regular season where the Dodgers finished at 92–70, Greinke played and started in 32 games having a 1.66 earned run average (ERA), 200 strikeouts, 0.84 walks and hits per innings pitched (WHIP), and a 19–3 record.
This is the second consecutive season the Dodgers were eliminated in the NLDS as they were also defeated last season by the St. Louis Cardinals.
According to Heyman, clubs that are in search for a top starting pitcher like Greinke are the San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Philadelphia Phillies, Miami Marlins, Toronto Blue Jays, Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, and the Texas Rangers, among others.
The Dodgers are already the fourth club Greinke played for in his 11-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB) after also having stints with the Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, and the Milwaukee Brewers.
