Casey Close of Excel Sports Management will represent Zack Greinke as the right-hander embarks on the final season of his contract with the Brewers, Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio tweets. If Matt Cain's recent contract provides any indication, Close could seek a $100MM payday for his newest client before long.
"I can’t really get into if I think I compare to him or I don’t think I compare to him," Greinke told reporters yesterday. "That’s more business stuff I don’t feel like giving y’all my opinion on.”
Greinke left CAA — Close's former agency — this fall and had been operating without an agent in the meantime. MLBTR's Agency Database offers a complete look at Close's client list.
Greinke will earn $13.5MM this season and will hit free agency this coming offseason unless the Brewers sign him long-term. The 28-year-old posted a 3.83 ERA with 10.5 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a 47.3% ground ball rate in 171 2/3 innings for the Brewers in 2011, his first campaign in the National League.
Yesss! Great start to my Agency Fantasy League. Casey Close was so worth that first round draft pick!!
I picked Scott Boras over Close, and traded for Lozano. Working out great right now =)
that, or that greinke just wants to be left alone and needs somebody to field calls and deal with the media throughout the season.
The Milwaukee media pretty much leaves Greinke alone–and what phone calls are we talking about here? Do you really think GMs are dialing Greinke up for a chat about joining their teams next year?
Haudricourt is just putting two and two together here–earlier in the offseason, Greinke said that he wouldn’t hire an agent until after the 2012 season because there “is no reason to.” Then Doug Melvin mentioned that he had some preliminary extension talks with Zach– which are clearly legitimate enough to convince Greinke to hire an agent now rather than waiting until after the season.