TUESDAY: Arizona has announced the signing.
Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com has a slew of details on the contract. (All links go to Twitter.) Greinke will receive a $18MM signing bonus and salaries of $31MM (2016-18), $31.5MM (2019), and $32MM (2020-21).
The overall valuation of the deal sits at $193,849,298, per Heyman, which accounts for the fact that $62.5MM of it is deferred. Greinke will also receive a $2MM trade bonus if he’s dealt once, though of course there is no-trade protection as well, and will donate one percent of his annual salary to the club’s charity.
SUNDAY: Greinke will receive a limited no-trade provision as part of his deal, Heyman tweets.
FRIDAY: In a shocker, the Diamondbacks have agreed to terms with free agent starter Zack Greinke, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweets. The contract is for six years, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman (on Twitter). The deal is pending a physical. Greinke is represented by Excel Sports Management.
Greinke will receive an amazing $206.5MM over six years, tweets Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. While that will include some deferred money (via Rosenthal), the total comes just short of David Price’s $217MM deal with the Red Sox, which was the largest ever for a pitcher. (Rosenthal tweets that $60MM or more is deferred, and the present-day value of Greinke’s deal is around $190MM. Heyman tweets that the deferred money that will be paid within five years after the deal expires.) And Greinke’s contract is for only six years, compared to Price’s seven (although Price’s contains an opt-out, and Greinke’s does not, as ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets). Greinke’s $34.42MM AAV will be baseball’s largest ever, blowing away both Price and Miguel Cabrera, who got $31MM.
Rosenthal had reported earlier Friday evening that the Diamondbacks were pursuing Greinke, and the Diamondbacks had previously been connected to a number of high-profile arms, including Johnny Cueto, Kenta Maeda and others. Still, the fact that they’re set to sign an ultra-high-end star like Greinke comes as a surprise, particularly since the top two bidders seemed to be two of Arizona’s division rivals, the Dodgers and Giants.
Still, Greinke to the Diamondbacks makes a fair amount of sense, and not just because of the team’s new ten-figure TV deal. The $206.5MM total for Greinke is three times larger than the Snakes’ biggest-ever free agent contract (last year’s $68.5MM deal for Yasmany Tomas), but Greinke, in addition to being an elite talent, should fit well with what they already have built.
As FanGraphs’ August Fagerstrom pointed out earlier this week, Arizona already qualified as a sleeper team for next season. The Diamondbacks already had a solid offense headed by two top talents in Paul Goldschmidt and A.J. Pollock, and an excellent defense headed by Pollock, Nick Ahmed and Ender Inciarte. The chief reason they only won 79 games last season was their pitching staff, which rated 27th in MLB in fWAR. Their rotation already looked likely to improve somewhat next season with a full season of Patrick Corbin, but adding Greinke provides a much bigger shot in the arm. With Greinke in the fold, the Diamondbacks obviously have a much better chance of contending — and not only because of the direct impact Greinke will have on their roster, but also because they’ll be keeping Greinke from pitching for one of their rivals.
Greinke would, clearly, be an impact addition for any team. While he isn’t likely to repeat his 1.66 ERA next season, even with an outstanding defense behind him, he’s an elite pitcher by any standard — he pitched 222 2/3 innings in 2015 and struck out 200 batters, reaching that threshold for the fifth time in his career. His 1.6 BB/9 was good for fifth in the Majors, and he also did a terrific job limiting home runs. Via FanGraphs linear weights, his changeup ranked as the best in baseball, and both his fastball and slider were among the ten best. He also hit a relatively robust .224/.232/.343 and won his second consecutive Gold Glove award.
The Diamondbacks’ surprising deal with Greinke leaves its neighbors to the west on the outside looking in. The Dodgers were uncomfortable giving Greinke a sixth year, the Los Angeles Times’ Bill Shaikin tweets. They offered him about $31MM per year over five years, Heyman reports (again via Twitter), but they were uncomfortable guaranteeing a sixth year to a pitcher who’s already 32. With Greinke off the board, the Dodgers are expected to bid for Cueto, as USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets. Meanwhile, the Giants could turn to other starting pitchers, perhaps Jeff Samardzija.
Greinke’s decision to opt out of his contract with the Dodgers unsurprisingly turned out to be a very lucrative one. He effectively declined three years and $71MM more from Los Angeles, and now will receive three times as much over only twice as many seasons. Also, as the Bay Area News Group’s Andrew Baggarly tweets, Greinke will be taxed at a significantly lower rate in Arizona than in California.
Once the deal is complete, the Diamondbacks will forfeit the 13th overall pick in next year’s draft, since Greinke rejected the Dodgers’ qualifying offer. The Dodgers will receive a pick at the end of the first round.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
jljr222
This is the greatest thing ever. This hot stove is troll city
MeowMeow
I certainly feel silly for describing their interest as “precious” earlier o.O
BlueSkyLA
Precocious might be the better fit.
Aoe3
Does Arizona have a decent core to back up goldy and grienke? hows their farm doing? One of the top free agent pitchers signing on the west coast with a losing team in recent years.. unexpected.
Now can the diamondbacks add other pieces in the next year or two and be a true contender?
forum199
Pollock is a legitimate superstar as well and David Peralta might be on the way there. They still need more pitching, but their player position talent is legitimate.
DeaconFrost23
With an underrated explosion of offense under Goldy, Pollock, Peralta, Castillo and possibly Jake Lamb as well as a super effective lead off man in Inciarte, their offense is very potent. Their pitching staff has a rising star in Corbin who looks to be consistent in 2016 as well as some young arms with very big upside in Rubby De La Rosa, Robbie Ray, Chase Anderson, Archie Bradley, Aaron Blair, Braden Shipley, and even Zach Godley. Although they were inconsistent last year, they showed big flashes of their high potential which could ignite in 2016 especially with Greinke now leading the fromt of the rotation.
sergelang
They seem to have a near infinite supply of middle of the rotation starters. They need Archie Bradley to live up to his potential, Corbin to repeat, Godley to keep on doing the same, and Greinke to stay healthy. Pollock is really great, Goldy is borderline MVP. Their shortstops all have great defense, in fact their whole team is pretty good defensively. Frustrating at times as a fan of a different team. They also play in one of the, if not the, most extreme offensive parks in MLB. It goes Coors Field, then Chase Field, then everywhere else. Chase Field is obscenely offense friendly, and the fact they play another load of games in Coors field makes it even more silly. They have about 90 games a year in absurdly offensive friendly ballparks.
The way I see it, they are building around a pretty solid defensive core that is bolstered by two mvp type players in Goldy and Pollock, and a pitching staff that will offer a silly amount of depth. They should be able to throw at least average pitchers out there every game, regardless of injuries, although obviously Greinke, Bradley, and Corbin all need to pitch well. Godley showed a lot in 2015, and I think he could be pretty good. Delgado I have less faith in personally, but he had some good results. Ruby De La Rosa, in my opinion, they should trade. I don’t think he should be in their rotation and I believe he is out of options. I would try trading him to a team like the Braves or Marlins who could try to boost his value and flip him for a prospect later on. He still has multiple years of control left, so he could probably get decent value back in a trade. Personally, I feel he should be the odd man out of the rotation, although I think they will be tempted to pluck out Godley. I would let Godley pitch.
sergelang
part II:
They have a host of near MLB ready pitching prospects who project as mid to back end rotation arms. There are a lot, and they could all pitch this season if needed.
I believe Blair is top that list, and there was talk that he could make the rotation out of spring training. That now looks very, very unlikely, but he is certainly borderline major league ready and could make the leap whenever needed.
Then you have Shipley, who had a tremendous second half in AA. He will probably pitch AAA this season, and he could be called up in the second half if needed. His first half last season was truly awful, his second half was amazing, and realistically he could probably be a 3 starter for the team as early as July if they needed him.
Those are their higher end pitching prospects in a nutshell. All three (plus Godley) are either MLB ready or could be called up this season.
sergelang
part III
Their player depth, you probably know they have the number two overall MLB prospect in Swanson. He is a shortstop currently in AA. He will likely have a full season in AA before getting a chance to be called up, but he projects to be a great defensive shortstop with a good bat and 20 hr potential. That is a very valuable player.
Drury is a contact hitting third basemen. Not much power, questionable arm. Maybe better at second, but they have so many other people who could play second that the DBacks are really making a push at keeping him on third base. But, again, he will be a third basemen without much power. Think Daniel Murphy type bat.
O’Brien is a catcher/outfielder with a lot of raw power, but not great ability to make contact. Some scouts think he may have an issue following the ball with his eyes (which is clearly a tragic issue for a guy who plans on playing catcher and hitting a baseball). When he does make contact, he can give it a ride. But he doesn’t make much good contact. His ability to play catcher his hampered by this issue, and he tends to have issues catching the ball. He is the type of player who is a giant walking question mark.
Reinheimer is a shortstop that could potentially be called up this season. He seems mostly depth to me, since the team already has a boatload of shortstops.
sergelang
part 2 to my comment:
They have a host of near MLB ready pitching prospects who project as mid to back end rotation arms. There are a lot, and they could all pitch this season if needed.
I believe Blair is top that list, and there was talk that he could make the rotation out of spring training. That now looks very, very unlikely, but he is certainly borderline major league ready and could make the leap whenever needed.
Then you have Shipley, who had a tremendous second half in AA. He will probably pitch AAA this season, and he could be called up in the second half if needed. His first half last season was truly awful, his second half was amazing, and realistically he could probably be a 3 starter for the team as early as July if they needed him.
Those are their higher end pitching prospects in a nutshell. All three (plus Godley) are either MLB ready or could be called up this season.
Their player depth, you probably know they have the number two overall MLB prospect in Swanson. He is a shortstop currently in AA. He will likely have a full season in AA before getting a chance to be called up, but he projects to be a great defensive shortstop with a good bat and 20 hr potential. That is a very valuable player.
Drury is a contact hitting third basemen. Not much power, questionable arm. Maybe better at second, but they have so many other people who could play second that the DBacks are really making a push at keeping him on third base. But, again, he will be a third basemen without much power. Think Daniel Murphy type bat.
O’Brien is a catcher/outfielder with a lot of raw power, but not great ability to make contact. Some scouts think he may have an issue following the ball with his eyes (which is clearly a tragic issue for a guy who plans on playing catcher and hitting a baseball). When he does make contact, he can give it a ride. But he doesn’t make much good contact. His ability to play catcher his hampered by this issue, and he tends to have issues catching the ball. He is the type of player who is a giant walking question mark.
Reinheimer is a shortstop that could potentially be called up this season. He seems mostly depth to me, since the team already has a boatload of shortstops.
Macburns
A true contender? They can go toe to toe with the Dodgers or Giants at the front of the rotation now, Goldschmidt is as good a player as any in the NL (including Harper), and Pollock was the best all around CF in baseball last year (and yes, I know who Mike Trout is!). This is a team that’s ready to become a force…and it’s not hard to see them blowing the Dodgers and Giants away now. This could be a moment that redefines Andrew Friedman’s status within baseball executive circle.
ncraine34
Whaaaaaaat
TheMichigan
FOR HOW MUCH TELL US MLBTR
zslep
Reports say $195 million
michaelw
206.4
RedFeather
Crazy overpay.. Good luck D-Back with that contract
Sonny 3
Wow
InPolesWeTrust
Great for them!!!!!!!
stymeedone
great for him!!! not great for fans. I can already hear the ticket prices rising.
wilymo
neo: “whoa.”
amishthunderak
Wow.
noahflesh
NO WAY
Joe Covert
Is this a joke?! I’m not in the mood for someone to start “December Fools Day.”
bruinlife33
I thought the same thing. In the long run, as long as he is not with the Dodgers.
gobraves46
Well that escalated quickly
chad803
The braves are signing cueto next, right? lol
vtncsc
Na, he’s too healthy for us.
cardfan2011
If they do, theyll trade him within a year or so 🙂
hiflyer000
The Braves aren’t interested in actual major league players. They are following the Sam Hinkie plan.
slider32
What about the Marlins, that even things out a little in the East.
Thegreatandpowerfulsimba
Wow…. Just wow
willreily
So much for “just driving the price up”. Wow.
A'sfaninUK
I’m going to take the loss on that call.
willreily
I think everyone was wrong on this one though lol. I guess Cueto to Giants or Dodgers now, right?
jaysandcubs
Cueto to the Rockies! Why not?
R.D.
Price already signed.
mrshyguy99
is this true because zack wont win a ring with the dbacks. must of threw alot of money at him
ImAlwaysRight
Better than the choking Dodgers chances
benfiorica
That’s not true. The diamondbacks are an emerging team that will be in contention in the coming years. This coming from a sox fan
andyb
Dbacks were already a sleeper team, dodgers are trending down. Dbacks have a shot to win the west next year.
YourDaddy
Even with Greinke the Dbacks rotation is sorely lacking. Before signing Greinke they had only 4 guys that were halfway decent and none that were more than a #3 on other teams. They need at least one more good arm in the rotation and a few good pieces in the pen before they can contend. The Dodgers rotation and overall team are still better as is the Giants.
Donnie B
Let’s look at that…
Dodgers #1 is Kershaw
Giants #1 is Bumgarner
D-Backs #1 is Greinke
(seems pretty even there)
Dodgers #2 is Ryu
Giants #2 is Peavy
D-Backs #2 is Corbin
(Unless Ryu is back to his normal self, then Corbin is better)
Dodgers #3 is B. Anderson
Giants #3 is Heston
D-Backs #3 is de la Rosa
Dodgers #4 is Wood
Giants #4 is Cain
D-Backs #4 is Ray
Dodgers #5 is Bolsinger
Giants #5 is Blackburn
D-Backs #5 is C. Anderson
Dodgers #6 is McCarthy – Frias – Z. Lee
Giants #6 is ???
D-Backs #6 is Bradley – Godley – Chacin
Now of course its just Dec 5th – and moves will still be made, but as of TODAY… I think the D-Backs just became NL West contenders.
As of line-ups… D-Backs one of the best offensive teams.
Compare vs LAD and SF
1B) Goldschmidt / A. Gonzalez / B. Belt
2B) Owings / K. Hernandez / Panik
SS) Ahmed / Seager / Crawford
3B) Lamb / Turner / Duffy
C) Castillo / Grandal / Posey
LF) Inciarte / Ethier / J. Parker
CF) Pollack / Pederson / Pagan
RF) Peralta / Puig / Pence
OF) Tomas / Crawford / Blanco
brandonmarin
Make an argument for why the dodgers are still better then the dbacks. Dbacks are front runners in the division now
YourDaddy
Kershaw is better than Greinke. The rest of Dodgers rotation is better than the rest of the Diamondbacks rotation. The Dodgers have money to spend. The Diamondbacks are done for this offseason unless they are trading away prospects.
Diamondbacks are better, but they are still #3 in NL West.
jamesa-2
Patrick Corbin is as good as, or better than anyone in the Dodgers rotation not named Kershaw. The Diamondbacks are a better offenseive team. Goldschmidt and Pollock are 2 of the top-10 position players out there. Peralta and Inciarte are both legit bats. Lamb is a legit 3B whose defense is second only to Arenado.
They now have Greinke,Corbin, Ray, Anderson, and either De La Rosa or Blair for their rotation. Their bullpen has three sickening arms in it, and they have already said they are still adding another arm to the rotation, which would give them the depth that the Dodgers so sorely lacked last season.
rct
Well, at least everyone else probably got this wrong on the FA contest, too.
HEpennypacker
And here we go…
petefrompp
Wow – D’bags for second wild card spot- Giants or Dodgers stay home this post season
mrshyguy99
dodgers still have a pretty good team even without zack
BlueSkyLA
And pretty good has always been good enough for Dodgers fans.
Anonymous 6
Dodgers stay home
Justin Broja
It goes 3 ways. Dodgers retain their NL West title, Giants continue even year dynasty, or Diamondbacks revolution begins
R.D.
The giants rotation is currently in shambles, comparatively. They’ll be fighting the Padres for distant third if they don’t make a splash.
YourDaddy
Giants still have $60 million to spend this offseason and the Winter Meetings have not even started yet. Bumgarner is a stud, Cain will be back and even at 75% of what he was he is still as good as anyone else on the Diamondbacks staff. Peavy will be back and he will give them 5 good innings every outing. Far from a shambles now and they have time. Bring back Mike Leake or sign any of the other tier two pitchers like Samardzija or Cueto and their pitching staff will be heads and shoulders better overall than the Diamondbacks are even with Greinke. I love that the Diamondbacks signed Greinke, but mostly because they took him away from the Dodgers. They still have a lot of work to do on their rotation and pen before they can contend.
amishthunderak
Giants or Dodgers stay home? You say that like it didn’t happen last year. Oh wait, it did. Maybe you meant to say Giants and Dodgers stay home…
mrshyguy99
who the heck will be the dodgers number two pitcher now
The Oregonian
They seem like the most likely suitor for Cueto now.
YourDaddy
Ryu or Anderson if they dont sign Cueto.
Bringbacktheblue
LMFAO!!!
bravesred 2
If I’m Hart, I’d start a bidding war over Miller.
start_wearing_purple
I’m sorry but I’m laughing at everyone who thought this would have never happened. And yes, I’m including myself.
A'sfaninUK
Absolutely wild. What an unpredictable game MLB is, from every angle.
ItsThatBriGuy
Give the AZ offense even average pitching, they’re contenders. Give them a true ace…
sfgfan24
My life no longer makes sense.
alex navarrette
WOW….
mrshyguy99
at least he not a giant so i guess that a plus but sucks he not a dodger anymore
puigpower
Zach what are you doing? Kiss future Cy Youngs goodbye
its_millertime
What are you talking about? You must not know that the Dbacks have 5 Cy Young awards and multiple more runner ups
pitcheslovethedickey
so so bitter
jamesa-2
Why? Because he has the best defense in baseball to help him improve his numbers even more? (Not that I ever expect him to repeat 2015)
Brixton
At least we can say we knew he was going to end up in the NL West..
The Oregonian
HOLY CRAP GUYS. Anyone get this right in the predictions?!
jabmets
That’s crazy. Dodgers have to go after maeda or samarjian. Contract details
dunkindonuts 2
Here are the winners of this deal in order: (1) Cueto; (2) Greinke; (3) Diamondbacks.
tuner49
No numbers yet but I bet you may want to switch your #1 and #2. Greinke must be getting a boatload of money for them to win this battle
Karmada
I’d say D-backs, Cueto, Greinke.
But maybe Greinke had enough of LA?
michaelw
The Diamond back are not going to get Cueto you idiot. You think there made of money. Like I said there are so many people on the market this year, everyone will get a piece of the pie. Even if its 2 2nd tie pitchers, or 1 so so pitcher and a ace. Don’t be surprise if the Cubs come out charging now. Arizona done now their wad is gone . Nice work though.
dhud
Umm…who said the Diamondbacks were signing Cueto?? Definitely not the comment I’m reading that you replied to and so poetically referred to as “you idiot.”
jamesa-2
Despite that AAV, they still have plenty to spend just to get to their very low target of a $100 million payroll. They have a new TV deal starting this season which adds almost $30 million to what they can spend over what they have been (which was $100 million). If Ken Kendrick lets them, Dave Stewart could take his team’s spending up another $30-40 million this winter and the team will still be just fine.
The Diamondbacks have the money to spend this winter thanks to the entire rest of the team being young and controlled. With their window being the next 3 seasons, and next years FA market looking like a barren wasteland, there is not much reason for them NOT to go big this winter and sign another arm like Maeda or Chen.
buckfoston
I’m trying to figure out how much of that comment is in English, and how much requires decryption…
BlueSkyLA
… or deserves decryption.
bravesfan 7
WHAT??????
skrockij89
Should’ve just upped the offer on Cueto. Would’ve saved the D’backs money and their first round pick.
mookiessnarl
Sure, but Cueto’s not as good as Grienke.
DeaconFrost23
Yes but Cueto was having shoulder issues near the end of last season. Not much coverage about it but it was happening. I would gladly spend more on one of the best pitchers in the league who has proven consistent health rather than a hit or miss with Cueto
cardfan2011
So I guess those articles about how he’d choose ONLY either Dodgers or Giants were off huh? Haha, good for the D-Backs!
Brixton
Because of these articles, hes going to get a crazy amount of money, because they came out of no where. Its 6 years
wilymo
ok, zack, but they’re gonna make you wear lizard pants
espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/14285664/uni-watch-ariz…
R.D.
I’m suddenly a dbacks fan.
start_wearing_purple
Soooo… Cueto to the Dodgers or Giants?
Triscut22
OH MY GOD
keepitago
Wow who saw this coming!!!
mookiessnarl
Well, it’s not looking good for me in the free agent predictions. Anyone see this coming?
atd469
I had Greinke going to a dark horse team.I figured he would stay in the NL west but not with the Dodgers.He doesn’t have a greasy beard or a bad attitude so he wouldn’t fit with the Giants from what i could see.So when Cueto turned down that offer I found myself thinking….Why wouldn’t they go all out and get Greinke.Third place team with plenty of room for improvement and tons of talent why not right??
eedwards027
Who had that in the free agent contest? Lol
AsFan89
I had Cueto going to the Dbacks :/
Linwood
Wow, unbelievable!
jakesaub
God bless Major League Baseball.
ianthomasmalone
Yes! Nice to see the money spread around.
A'sfaninUK
This is crazy
mrnatewalter
Thatt’s incorrect. He has 10 career starts at Chase Field.
Looking at B-R, I can understand the confusion, the stadiums are listed in alphabetical order by team, but Chase Field is between Philly and Pittsburgh (IDK why)
SaladFingers69
Phoenix?
mrnatewalter
That’s likely the rationale. I thought about Colorado and Minnesota, but realized they would be in the same alphabetical spot even if they used cities. Texas’ park, which is in Arlington, is right after LAA (Anaheim).
mrshyguy99
so what the dodgers do now get cueto? trade for miller. im lost to who the dodgers could get to replace zack
eedwards027
Cueto
slasher016
Guessing $186M / 6
jakesaub
Cueto is going to get PAID by LA.
wilymo
i kind of hope they go for samardzoodj instead. he’ll be cheaper and i kind of believe in him more
mwk89
imagine the potential bidding war had Price still been on the market. Dombrowski was wise to strike early and get who he wanted
tuner49
Same goes for Avila and Zimmermann. Think how much the Z man could get now. His deal was fair for both sides but now he could get a real overpay.
dstuart
I’m stunned
charles stevens
I’m just really surprised the Dodgers were outbid for anyone much less Greinke. I have to believe they felt pressure not to give him more than Kershaw is getting.
ImAlwaysRight
So it’s kershaw and a bunch of 3’s and 4’s and no bullpen
Brixton
Still a lot of offseason left, and a lot of money to be spent.
hojostache
LAD has a jammed outfield, a disgruntled Puig, a weak backend starting rotation, a thin bullpen, and a multiple playoff disappointments. Yup, LAD will be fine.
mrshyguy99
i didnt know the baseball season started tomorrow. there still alot of off season left
Eric D.
Ryu is a strong number 2. The Dodgers are fine. Relax.
neilarado
number 2?? u mean like poop right??
mrshyguy99
he good but he is coming off a injury that cost him the season.
wilymo
i love ryu but he had labrum surgery. nobody knows what he is right now
whtstr314
Well, this should drive up Shark’s price.
cardfan2011
I LOVE baseball offseason!
SLACK
Wow, never saw that coming
deadmang
IS THIS REAL LIFE
milkdude1967
This is good news for Cueto and Samardzija as the Dodgers and Giants both still need starters. The price for pitching just went way up.
BlueSkyLA
One way or another, one of the greatest head fakes of all time.
mrshyguy99
im shock he went with the dbacks.
Acuña Matata
Come on give me a little credit. You know you want too. You know you want Miller High Life now. Ignore Cueto he’s silly
Outlaws12
Damn
hooligan
This is the funniest thing. I laughed so hard at this. Go getter D-backs
markmc1235
I will eat crow right now, he’ll yea dbacks, way too step up!!
Mike_Davis
I guess Greinke really did want to go somewhere with less of a spotlight on him. Or he really wanted to be king of the hill.
wilymo
or the diamondbacks offered him the most money
theroyal19
He’ll also take home the most money in Arizona. A lot less taken in taxes
Andrew Rodig
I’ll take this anyday. The Dodgers get worse and my giants don’t pay 30mil a year for a pitcher
mrshyguy99
it hurts but it wont kill them by losing zack.
wilymo
yeah, this sucks because i’ve loved greinke since he was a moody 20-year-old on the royals, so it was really fun having him on my team. but from a cold-hearted, pragmatic point of view, it’s probably not a horrible thing for the dodgers. that’s a lot of money for a pretty old pitcher for a long time. and they’ll put a rotation together one way or another.
i would have also been happy to have him back, of course
drewm
Absolutely. The Giants are the real winners here.
atd469
I foresee the Giants not being real winners for years to come actually.Unless Matt Cain returns to his usual self.I honestly think this hurts them.They’ve failed to sign a big arm two years in a row now and they’re only move at the deadline was for a (rental) Mike Leake a no 3-4 guy at best to save a rotation that consists of Madison Bumgarner and thats about it.
mookiessnarl
6 years. But does he hit 200 million?
Brixton
Thats 33.3M a year, I just don’t see that.
mookiessnarl
Not much more than he was asking for. He wanted 32 or 33 I think.
jakesaub
I’m predicting $195MM
andyb
WOW WOW WE WOW WOW
andyb
Dodgers and Giants have to be in freak out mode
mrshyguy99
gaints maybe but dodgers not so much. since their rotation pretty much set and there still alot of options out there
Hentai King
Yeah, set with scrubs.
ilikebaseball 2
i like money
billybeane
people knew he was gonna sell his soul to the highest bidder, but its very surprising the dbacks outbid everyone
Christian Ryle
Probably going to lose Kuma to SF/LAD with how FA has played out. One will get Cueto, the other will over pay for Iwakuma.
Hentai King
D-Backs are still in need of pitching to be a real threat, but this is a start. Get Maeda now.
Matt Galvin
Tim K. says it will top David Price’s Contract. MLB Network only Breaking in with a update saying Heyman is reporting and nothing like getting Greg Asminger,O’Dowd,Sherman back in to talk about it.
Brixton
I highly doubt that. The Dodgers apparently offered 5/156M, so somehow I doubt the D’Backs offered 60M+ than that.
wilymo
ok but bear in mind that like 20 minutes ago everybody was chuckling at the idea of them signing him at all
tuner49
I bet he means in AAV
jb2k
We have just entered Bizarro World, folks — what’s next — Miller returning to St. Louis?
forum199
Friedman and the FO can’t be that upset about this outcome. Dodgers get a strong 1st round pick, don’t have to watch him join their arch rivals, and don’t have to commit a 30M+ AAV for a guy’s 32-37 seasons.
mrshyguy99
good point they want to try to reduce pay role and this helps. dodgers will save money by going with one of the other options
mookiessnarl
The number 2 starter on the team with the highest payroll and spending power walks away. The other options on the market are cheaper but not as good. Have to believe the FO should be either disappointed or fired.
mrshyguy99
disappointed maybe but fired no. the other options arent as good yes but they arent bad either. plus if ryu comes back strong that will help the dodgers alot.
mookiessnarl
Thus the word either.
forum199
They have many options in using that money elsewhere. They can sign Heyward/Upton and trade Puig for a pitcher. Hell, they might be able to sign Upton and a guy like Maeda for not too much more than Greinke’s total cost.
Christian Ryle
Why is my comment waiting moderation? What the hell? Haha
soxsam32
You know, this makes sense for greinke and the D-Backs. Greinke doesn’t like pitching in a big market, he’s a quiet dude. Arizona has a pressing need for a top pitcher. Maybe they go after a top outfielder now? Or Daniel Murphy?
ItsThatBriGuy
DBacks have four starting-caliber OFs already. Best move now is a mid-rotation innings-eater.
Brixton
Calling Yasmani Tomas a starting level outfielder is… well.. eh.
soxsam32
Yeah exactly. If this front office is about to blow up the market, Murphy would be a good signing for them. And maybe Alex Gordon
ItsThatBriGuy
Tomas had a rough time with injuries and learning the OF in the second half. His first-half offense combined with more comfort in right should make him an acceptable starting option. Maybe the fourth-best option, but an acceptable one.
jamesa-2
Tomas is either the platoon mate for Brito, or he needs to head back to Reno until he can get his conditioning under control and also figure out how to stop swinging at things in the other batter’s box.
jamesa-2
HE didn’t say Yasmany Tomas. They have Pollock, Inciarte, Peralta, and Brito.
Michael Macaulay-Birks
Right because he’ll be playing in front of 8000 people a night….that’s a huge commitment for a mid payroll team, team that usually does things like trade Wade Miley for Ruby Delarosa and the white guy they can’t find the strike zone
Michael Macaulay-Birks
Webster
SaladFingers69
Why’s he gotta be white?
porplesmcgee
The D-backs this year are the Padres of last year with unexpected moves.
MB923
But will they tank? Who knows. Cant predict baseball
deeznts11
Wow! Can’t help but think his dislike for Puig and clubhouse moral was his deciding factor. That n the Dodgers were probably only going to give him 5 yrs…
Michael Macaulay-Birks
That or the Dodgers and Giants both said they would not give him a 6th year
rick5ful
Thank you D-backs you just lost your 13th pick. Dodgers are happy with the extra pick and moved one spot up of the draft order.
MB923
Rosenthal just said they are in talks with Leake too
Eric D.
I love how when Boston signs Price they get bashed, but when Arizona signs 3 years older Grienke to a likely very similar contract, they’re praised. Is there an anti-boston bias among MBLTR users?? lol
Brixton
Oh, Grienke’s contract is going to be atrocious in a few years. Everyone is freaking out because its the Dbacks…
wilymo
well some of them seem to hate the red sox, if that’s what you mean
mookiessnarl
Nah, they just hate Red Sox fans.
Eric D.
Doesn’t make much sense, considering most of the other Sox fans I’ve talked to here are very reasonable.
mookiessnarl
There are unreasonable ones just like any fan base. The problem is, the more fans a team has the more unreasonable ones show up. So it just starts looking like the entire fanbase thinks it’s possible to trade JBJ for Sonny Gray.
onlyringsmatter
what’s wrong with JBJ for Sonny Gray?(sarcasm)
tuner49
Its very simple Boston, LA, and the Giants are the big bad boys and Ariz. is the little brother.This time the little brother wins. Little brother will be growing up fast.
Acuña Matata
I wonder where all those Dodgers fans are that spent most of their time bashing me. Now come get Miller unless you really want to waste money on Cueto
rick5ful
That depends, what do you want for Miller?
Acuña Matata
Seager. But if you mean realistically, couldn’t tell you because my bias is way strong therefore me giving realistic scenarios might be too much for me to handle right now
Brixton
Jose De Leon and Austin Barnes for Miller?
mrshyguy99
they wouldnt trade leon for hamels so will they for miller
Acuña Matata
Depends. The Dodgers rotation is shaky now. Its Kershaw really and a whole lot of question marks.
I wonder if that was part of Greinke’s decision?
forum199
Jose De Leon should only be included in a deal for Sonny Gray.
Brixton
Then who are the Dodgers going to trade for Miller? Holmes isn’t enough, they aren’t trading Urias, Seager or Puig, they shouldn’t trade Joc.
forum199
Miller is probably not a target of theirs; I would be surprised. They do have Peraza, Barnes and other solid players they could include in a deal and their farm system is alot deeper than just the big names.
chesteraarthur
Ross, Carassco, Salazar > Miller. FA options are also still available. There is no need for any team to pay atl’s ridiculous price for Miller.
Acuña Matata
all 3 are demanding twice as much as Miller and its your opinion they’re better. Salazar has already had noted control issues and was sent down last season for it.
Miller out of the 3 has been the most consistent AND added another pitch to his repertoire. If he posts another season like he did this year you’ll be hard pressed to continue your same line of reasoning
chesteraarthur
MIller has control issues of his own and he has been anything but consistent. It is not my opinion that they are better, it is statisically accurate that they are superior pitchers. Take off the homer glasses.
Acuña Matata
Miller’s control issues were never so severe it sent him back to the Minors. Miller learned a sinker from Wainwright. Miller utilized that sinker to incredible effect this season *(as he just learned it)
I keep saying it because it really does seem like it rings true. Far too many of you are looking at the season that led to him being traded. There may be overvaluing on the part of Braves fans but there is INCREDIBLE undervaluing by a lot of people, especially here.
Brixton
We also seen Chen get sent down last year. It doesn’t mean anything.
Miller was mediocre in 2014, and mediocre for half of 2015. No one is selling the farm for him.
Acuña Matata
Nah not the farm. Nor did I ever advocate a team trading the farm for him.
Chen isn’t part of this equation though. The argument is Salazar v. Miller (at least thats what I was trying to point out). Salazar isn’t worth more than Miller. However, this is also an opinion coming from a self-proclaimed potentially bias fan.
Edit:: and Amateur Arm Chair GM/VP of Player Development
Brixton
You were using the fact that Salazar got sent down as a reason for Miller>Salazar, but being sent down just happens sometimes.
As for my two cents on the matter, I don’t think we’ve seen enough of Salazar to make a assessment, hes only had 1 year of being a #2-#3.
Miller just isn’t that great.
Acuña Matata
No, no I got what you’re saying. I was just merely pointing out that the comparison is between Miller and Salazar. But I get what you meant and I even agree just not in this specific instance.
Fair enough, I’ll give you that and I will reserve any further opinion about Salazar for next offseason.
As for Miller, I said elsewhere from what I’ve seen, this is a different Shelby and I just don’t see it/him regressing. However, if I’m wrong I have no qualms coming back here and asking for forgiveness
chesteraarthur
You don’t see regression? Look at the second half of his 2015 season….Salazar also has more team control than Miller.
Acuña Matata
That’s not regression. That’s being tired of no run support for 6 months. That’s being slightly down on yourself because, with the help of your team you’re achieving a historical feat that most don’t want to achieve or be known for. Regardless if its not their fault.
That’s not regression. That’s called being annoyed. I said I was going to reserve my sentiment towards Salazar until after next year, but you won’t so I won’t. Salazar pitches well in Cleveland. His ERA jumps up nearly a run when pitching away. 2015 he comes in at a healthy 3.80 away. (Also, note he pitched nearly 50 more innings away than home last season).
Yes the same can be said about Shelby Miller until you see who he was playing for and where most of the so called “second half regression” came from September.
Arguing someones stats from a season in which they set a record that hadn’t been touched since the deadball era isn’t really saying anything about their value.
Sorry but just no.
chesteraarthur
I am a cubs fan who is evaluating two pitchers they may trade for. How would I be biased against Miller?
chesteraarthur
He put up a season that is statistically similar to Kyle fkin Hendricks. He isn’t that great.And whether you get sent down has nothing to do with anything. The braves suck, so they could afford to just let miller hang out on the MLB roster because they are a cellar dweller
forum199
Also they can sign a guy like Upton or Heyward and trade Puig for a pitcher.
ehoop99
I’d like to say I saw this coming….but I sound like a guy who walked onto the train tracks and got hit. Interesting to see the dollar figure here. Must be massive!
Hentai King
$195 million!?!!?!? WOW
mookiessnarl
Looks like it’s 6 years at about (why about?) 195 million.
mrshyguy99
well dodgers have 19 year old urias in the wings so losing zack i guess wont hurt because they wont have to pay 30 a year he getting.
mattg-5
Will the Dodgers receive Arizona’s first round (#13th) pick now?
Johnny Shoe
Cliff Lee too Arizona next would be great.
Eric D.
Cliff Lee is a project for a team like Pittsburgh.
Brixton
Pittsburgh helps pitchers that struggle. Lee just isn’t healthy. Big difference.
baronbeard
I wouldn’t mind seeing what Jim Hickey could do with Lee.
Michael Macaulay-Birks
Yeah that would be great, a guy who hasn’t pitched in two years, and hasn’t shown any indication that he can next year
impactrookies
Sad day to be a fan of dodger blue! What were they thinking? Why do you think Greinke opted out in the first place? Uh to get an extended deal! Props to the dbacks for stepping up! Not wanting to give quite possibly the best pitcher in baseball a sixth year?! Wow!
mrshyguy99
short term it looks bad for the dodgers but long term who knows if this contract will be good or bad. with options still out there a urias down in triple A dodgers will be fine
therealryan
This is great news for the Dodgers. They were able to get a TOR arm on a 3 year deal and now able to avoid paying him for the decline phase of that contract. Even better, a division rival signs up for the decline years and decided to add 3 more on the backside at an even higher AAV. Now the Dodgers can go and get Cueto for 6-$144 with an opt out after 3 years that you hope he takes. This was handled masterfully.
mattg-5
Will the Dodgers get the diamonbacks first round pick now? (13th overall)
Francys01
What is this? What happened giants I thought you were going to sign zack greinke.another great pitcher that the giants can not sign.
Brixton
At 32.5M a year, the Giants are probably better off, considering they have like half an outfielder for 2016
mrshyguy99
is he worth that much a year? is any player worth that much. baseball contracts are crazy
chesteraarthur
Props to LAD and SF not caving on the 6th year
mrshyguy99
6 years 195 mill. well good job for the dbacks for getting him but who knows how it will play out long term. but good job getting him. should help them in the short term
Paulo
Good now can the Mariners please get Cueto?
aprogie
Price deal with the Redsox not tigers
Lefty_Orioles_Fan
I think Greinke made the right decision.
He is going to like Arizona and facilities out there are top notch.
I liked their stadium a lot when I was out there for Spring training a few years ago. It should be interesting to see how this will work out.
tuner49
the only thing Greinke cared about was Show me the Money
beyou02215
Congrats to the D-Backs. It’s a huge gamble of course, but they got their man. As a Padres fan, you have to wonder how they are going to be able to compete in the now extra-difficult NL West.
sportfan
So now Shelby Miller to the Dodgers.
mrshyguy99
that if they are willing to give up a good price
forum199
I prefer signing Upton/Heyward and using Puig to get a pitcher. They will aim higher – Sonny Gray, Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar (I’ll take him over Shelby).
mrshyguy99
they also have 19 year old urias in the wing. sure urias might not be zack. but there high hops for him
forum199
Urias is legitimately a top 2-3 starting pitching prospect in ALL of baseball, and Jose De Leon is another arm projected to be a high-level starter (and very close to the bigs)
slider32
The D-Backs need one more quality starter to contend next year, I think they will add one. This signing balances out the West.
Matt Galvin
Mike Leake. Also get Chapman and maybe Frazier. Dodgers get a Murphy/Zobrist type,Cueto and Jeff S. Giants get Gordon,Kazmir.
mrshyguy99
do the dodgers need a zobrist type when they already have one
Brixton
What is a Murphy/Zobrist type?
They are completely different players.
hojostache
Not really. High contact, low strikeout, plenty of doubles but not HRs…etc.
MB923
6 years/$206 million. WOW
Brixton
34.3M a year… thats unbelievable.
forum199
Give me Salazar over Miller all day. Way better K rate in a tougher league, smaller ballparks, DH, and horrible defense behind Salazar last year.
tac3
This is ……. Awesome. As an outsider of LA, I wanted to see this happen. Mainly for baseball as a whole … I feel the value of prospects are way to high compared to proven veteran pitchers … How do you feel about Not coughing up those “prospects” for Hamels now? You could still sign Cueto … But the Dodgers window just got reset… You can say… They should’ve “shat” while they were on the toliet…. Now they are in the same spot as if they traded those prospects …. Wothout Hamels or Grienke … Bad gamble imo … they can still rebound by signing Cueto but…. It’s a huge morale crusher. Good luck LA … Poo next time your on the toliet!
Troll rant over
Brixton
That Dodgers have the best pitcher on the planet, 4 of the top 25 prospects in baseball, plus Puig, Pederson and the largest payroll in sports. I think they’ll be fine.
hojostache
Soooo…lose in 5 next season?
tac3
Im not sure if Puig helps or hurts them more at this point… they could be fine… but its not about being fine… its about winning the WS for them.. and they could have wasted a great opportunity to win one. Will see, there window just got a major adjustment… its not like the Pirates, CHI, Dbacks, Mets are sitting around, plus others.
mrshyguy99
losing zack not the end of the world. they will get anther pitcher and move on. they have pitchers waiting in the wings name homles and urias. the dodgers will be fine. plus with ryu coming back losing zack wont hurt as much as you think
tac3
they could rebound by signing someone else, but they do have to go up against SF,CHI and any other sleeper teams… Its not that they “can’t” or won’t compete… but losing grienke is huge. Can’t sugarcoat it. You just lost arguably the real NL CY. Urias and Holmes are not CYs… You also are probably gong to have to wait a few years before they develop enough… and lets be honest, “IF” they develop. Say they do, Kershaw is now 2-3 years older.. along with other players on the team. The Dodgers had a shot at a title and they got Cold feet… should’ve pulled the trigger on Hamels… at this point. If they can sign Cueto… ok, its a lot better. but .. Cueto is not Grienke. Interesting to me, will see if this helps shift the trade values back to the middle abit… I get sick of hearing how prospects are so untouchable… well… that WS title might be more untouchable than those precious prospects now. Not totally trolling, but yes… I’ve gotten some sick satisfaction out of this signing.. not towards Dodgers fans in specifically, but for those who think you can get a player like Hamels for pennies on the Dollar… not giving up your top prospects… well this is one possible outcome.. and that is watching your teams window close… or stand still.
mookiessnarl
And it looks like 206 million. Good on him. That’s huge money.
Eric D.
I can’t imagine what Bryce Harper is going to get in a few years, whether it’s an extension or free agency.
mookiessnarl
400 million easy.
MB923
I’d say $300-$350 million. Probably by the Yankees.
mookiessnarl
It wouldn’t surprise me if they cleared out payroll and timed it right. The thing is Harper could easily get 10 years, and a 40 million AAV for him at that point may be market value for one of the two best all around players in baseball.
Michael Macaulay-Birks
By the time Harper gets to the Yankees he will be getting the Barry bonds intentional walk treatment on a regular basis, but I agree he is a future Yankee
Michael Macaulay-Birks
And also keep in mind that there is a collective bargaining agreement to handle next year, they will surely find a way to suppress salaries
Eric D.
Honestly now that I think about it there’s a chance he gets a Trout-esque extension and hits the market more at 29 or 30. It’ll still be huge though.
bobbleheadguru
Who got the better deal?
Verlander is the same age as Grienke.
mookiessnarl
I think we need to give the respective deals more than 30 seconds before we can really be sure.
forum199
206M? The biggest loser in this is David Price’ agent.
mrshyguy99
how didnt price get like 212mill
Christian Ryle
Because he got more than that
forum199
Just the fact Greinke got a 34.3M AAV and he got a 31M AAV and only 1 year longer, despite being 2 years younger. I guess he does have an opt out, but still.
Brixton
Price has been better for a longer period of time, is 2 years younger and pitched in the AL his whole career. He should have got a bit more than Grienke.
tuner49
Price got an opt out clause, which was a big deal for him
Michael Macaulay-Birks
Hard to imagine he’ll opt out on a contract that pays him 32 million for two years and then 33 million for the following two years, as a Red Sox fan I almost hope he does opt out
Priggs89
I think it’s safe to say he still did pretty darn well for himself
forum199
Well, loser is obviously an exaggeration, but he certainly didn’t impress any prospective clients in the aftermath of these two deals.
AndThisGameBelongsToMySanDiegoPadres
Note to self: Never ever ever EVER pay any attention to the rumors.
Piro
Talk about shocker! This came out of left field. Wow!
jmg s.
Almost perfect scenario for the Giants. Rival Dodgers lose a big talent, Giants can be more flexible in spending getting two SPs or maybe go after OF and SP, and Giants won’t have to pay $32/yr for decline years of contract. Only downside is that Greinke will pitch in the division.
forum199
For the Giants? How about the Dodgers? They get a 1st round compensation pick) in the draft to add to their absurd farm system and still have the money left over to sign another premier FA, while boasting two of the elite pitching prospects in the game near MLB-ready.
Brixton
They don’t get the 13th pick, they get the 30-something pick.
forum199
You guys are probably right. Nevermind.
Brixton
You don’t get the team that signed your QO player’s pick.
You get a supplementary pick after the first round completes.
forum199
Yeah good call, all of you. My mistake.
forum199
I am still not disappointed whatsoever as a Dodgers fan. I really wanted to get Heyward/Upton and ship off Puig and parts (if need be) for a young starter.
Brixton
I wouldn’t sell low on Puig, personally.
mrshyguy99
yea losing zack is not as bad as it looks.
Eric D.
Dodgers get a supplemental round pick. the D’backs first round pick is simply skipped.
chesteraarthur
You don’t get a teams pick. They will get a comp round pick.
Mike_Davis
The Dodgers don’t get #13, they will get a pick after the 1st round.
mrshyguy99
they lose zack but have you seen their farm. they have a top 10 player waiting to be called up. urias should be a big time talent when called up if everything goes well
AndThisGameBelongsToMySanDiegoPadres
D’Backs lose the 3rd highest non-protected pick in next year’s draft tho
ItsThatBriGuy
The number-thirteen pick is a highly costly pick and far from the sure thing that the top three or four picks in the draft tend to be. Better to put those millions into a proven commodity, especially one of this caliber.
HankHollywood
Player 3 has entered the game.
start_wearing_purple
The Price deal is starting to look better and better.
tuner49
So is the Zimmermann deal
lunchmoney
$22 million AAVs for scrubs on the verge of TJs are great
jbravo17
Yeah, a “scrub” tied with King Felix for ERA+ over the last five years, ahead of Max Scherzer and Jon Lester making closer to $30MM-AAV, just barely behind other overpaid bums like David Price.
Good one.
Brixton
Calling David Price a bum..
jbravo17
Must be true, if a “scrub” is only barely worse than his 127 ERA+ over that same span.
I’m testing troll logic, here, and having a hard time find any.
AndThisGameBelongsToMySanDiegoPadres
How is he a scrub and how is he on the verge of a TJ?
start_wearing_purple
Yes, but Zimmerman was never going to get any where near the money that Price and Grienke were expected to get. When Price signed there was a lot of laughing about the $200M tag. But with the Diamondbacks giving another elite pitcher $200M and giving up a draft pick to do so, it makes the Price deal look better.
disadvantage
It was the new jerseys that drew him in.
mrshyguy99
with guys like leon ,homles and urias in the farm and still pretty decent options out there makes losing zack not that bad as it may seem. plus it will help if ryu can come back strong.
mookiessnarl
That’s about the fifth time you’ve posted something similar. Who are you trying to convince?
mrshyguy99
people who think losing zack is the end of the world for the dodgers
mookiessnarl
Once usually covers that. It’s a big deal to lose a starter who is that good no matter how you try and spin it. It may not be horrible for the Dodgers, but that depends on the moves they make before the season starts.
mrshyguy99
good point there i bet dodgers had a plan b. they couldnt believe they were getting zack for sure. i bet they had a back up plan/ what ever that plan is we have to wait and see
mookiessnarl
But the thing is they’re going to lose something regardless. There isn’t anything available that would be as good as or better than Greinke. There’s no way to spin this where the Dodgers don’t lose something here.
mrshyguy99
true short term this is a lost for the dodgers. getting another pitcher wont replace what zack did.but if cueto sign with the dodgers maybe he will be the reds cueto and not the KC one
ew032
In my opinion, Cueto’s elbow won’t last half as long as Greinke’s deal with the DBacks. It’s an accident waiting to happen. Dodgers cannot replace Greinke in what’s left of the FA market and the kids aren’t yet ready, and no guarantee of performance when they are. It will also be interesting to tally Freidman’s gaffes; trade deadline inaction this time, Greinke miss this time. The Shark won’t have an ERA under 4 if he goes to
LA, and Zaidi is NOT making the calls. He’s Andrew’s analyst, running the WAR models to predict the worth of players. What a mess in the LA front office.
AndThisGameBelongsToMySanDiegoPadres
So 7 players who received QO’s have signed. 3 (Rasmus, Anderson and Wieters) took the QO. 1 (Estrada) resigned with his old team on a multi-year deal. 1 (Zimmermann) signed with a team who had a protected pick and 2 (Lackey and Greinke) signed with teams who have to forfeit their first rounder. D’Backs and Cubs will not draft in the first round in 2016. Cubs will get a compensation pick for losing Dexter Fowler tho.
Bob Smiley
Greinke will make 32.5-35 million his 1st year…Goldy will make 32 million in 5 years!! wow.
legit1213
In the words of Frank Barone, “holy crap!”
pitcheslovethedickey
Dudgers in deep trouble now. They couldn’t do it with him, and now they lost him to a division rival….
fred-3
Dodgers still the best pitcher this decade, people. Relax. There are many ways to build a team.
mrshyguy99
plus a good 3rd starter in ryu if healthy and a top 10 prospect in urias. all is not lost.
ItsThatBriGuy
Ryu is a giant question mark given his health. You don’t want to wind up like the Phillies a few years ago playing the “If he’s healthy” game with your rotation.
mrshyguy99
well they pretty much are playing what ifs since the rotation they have is good but filled with health issues
pitcheslovethedickey
So they couldn’t do it with Kershaw and Greinke, and just lost the latter to a division rival. What about this screams “relax” to you?
moe 3
You just never know
Brixton
Grienke makes ~10M AAV more than Felix Hernandez, Robbie Cano, Albert Pujols, and Tex.
Grienke will make more in 1 season than the payrolls of the White Sox, Mariners and Orioles combined in 1990.
Chrish815
Dodger fan first off sorry you lost Greinke but it not end if he world think of this if you make trade with the Braves for miller Tehran Markaklis swisher bethancourt grilli marksberry cunniff Ruiz and Perez to Dodgers for Pederson van slyke Barnes Seager and either one of these pitchers Holmes , buehler, or lee. Think Dodgers fan would you rather pay for pitcher 150-100 million for pitcher or two or get miller all star pitcher Theran solute pitcher another young pitch that could be your 6 pitch 2 relieve that can help you bullpen in grilli and markberry(lf) and cunniff that can get ground ball and future 3b in Ruiz ( and honk dodger can go after free agent in 2017 names Walker Gomez Bautista Bruce holland or strausburg storen or even you on closer in Jensen and champmen or 2018 free agents Holliday Davis Hamilton or think of 2019 free agent list of mcCutchen Harper Donaldson . Think about that if you put 150 to 100 million you can’t spend that money on those player think about this Dodgers you could have sp pitching staff of kershaw miller Uriah theran and woods 1b Gonzalez 2b Walker ss paraza 3b Donaldson outfield of rf Harper cf mcCutchen lf cargo and bull pin ending with jensan and champmen that could happen if you go with controllable start pitching staff miller 3 years and 4 with theran and marksberry 6 years along with cunniff and grilli swisher come of the book next year and on contract you have is markakis which he would be last of deal so that give u better chance to win after the year
mrshyguy99
lol you really think dodgers would give up pederson or seager. i highly doubt it.
chesteraarthur
Haha, the braves are not getting seager. They wouldn’t move him for hamels, they aren’t moving him for miller and or tehran
mrshyguy99
dodgers have young pitchers. why would they need to get up youth when they have youth. sure guys like holmes,leon and uaris arent proven but they have talent. they are better off keeping it young talent then trade it for different young talent
Niekro
Good to see the D-Backs spend the TV money and not sit on it, Corbin becomes a really good #2, If Ray and Godley can continue to grow and Bradley can return to form before being hit in the face they have the makings of a nice rotation.
chri
After kershaw, the dodgers now have a bunch of question marks.
Ryu is coming off a major injury, Anderson and Wood are injuries waiting to happen.
Not to mention that’s 4 lefties in a rotation. Need to balance that out a bit.
Brixton
Plus they seemingly have dead money in Brandon McCarthy.
chri
Wow I forgot all about McCarthy. He has TJS on 4/30/15, so he likely isnt bak until June-July.
Urias and DeLeon likely dont make their MLB debuts this year, wonder if this means they go after Miller or sign Shark/Cueto?
ew032
McCarthy was another “O sh-t” moment for the LA front office. A familiar face from Zaidi’s days with the A’s.
tac3
until the playoffs.. and then he turns into a ? too
pitcheslovethedickey
How are folks able to get spaces in their usernames? I couldn’t register if I had spaces.
Mike_Davis
Per Rosenthal
Waiting to see how both union and MLB value Greinke deal with #DBacks. Source says $60M+ in deferrals, present value closer to $190M.
Chrish815
Would you rather have sp staff of what you have now of kershaw woods and three injure history pitches like rye Anderson mcCarthey or sp staff of kershaw Miller rye Theran and woods
mrshyguy99
ill take the risk if it mean dodgers dont have to give up seager or pederson. it not everyday you get a IF who has pop or a CF who could be a 5 tool player or close to it
chri
Thats 4 lefties in that rotation if Ryu is healthy. That needs to be balanced out better. And McCarthy had TJS on 4/30 so he likely isnt back until mid-June at best.
mrshyguy99
well if the dodgers sign cueto there the righty they need. sure he no zack but with the right coaching we could see the red cueto and not the kc one
stymeedone
what difference does balancing between righty-lefty make? Doesn’t 15 wins count the same regardless of which hand threw them.? What am I missing?
michaelw
I’m stunned too, but not surprised. I think after the offer to Cu was rejected the Diamond back came in late and said go all in and blind sided LA and SF. LOL
Angry Disgruntled Sox Fan
One starter doesn’t make them a contender. Good for Greinke though.
scottaz
If you knew anything at all about any teams west of the Allegany River, you would know that the D’backs have one of the best defensive teams in MLB, one of the best offensive teams in MLB, but lack only starting pitching (two starters specifically) to seriously contend this year.
Brixton
They have one of the best offensives in the NL, a good-not-great bullpen, the best defense in the NL, and are going to get a full season out of Godley, Ray and Corbin.
They are a contender. Plus the other 4 teams in their division are weaker (at this moment) than they were in 2015.
mrshyguy99
i wouldnt say the dodgers are weaker. the team pretty much the same. they could use pitching help and bull pen help. but they are pretty much the same team. losing zack hurts them but they should be fine
jedihoyer
godley? sheesh, overreaction to a few starts, theres a reason he was a throw in, he ticked up a couple mph but isn’t anything special. swingman at best, bullpen most likely.
chicubbies1
I’d say it’s too early to say they’re contenders. Adding Greinke makes this a .500 team IMO. They were 79-83 last year without him, so .500 is reasonable expectations with the addition of a single pitcher. Also, where is Tomas going to play? He was a joke fielding 3B, but they have Inciarte, Pollock, and Peralta already in the OF. If they throw Tomas at 3B then they still have a pretty weak middle infield. That rotation after Greinke is still a huge question mark.
YourDaddy
2nd in defense in the NL to Giants. 3rd in runs, 4th in fWAR and 7th in park adjusted offense in the NL. Their bullpen ranked 22nd in baseball last year and hasn’t improved. Their starting pitching ranked 28th in baseball and just picking up Greinke wont make them a powerhouse. None of the other 4 starters (Corbin, de la Rosa, Anderson or Ray) rate as anything more than a #3 starter. Godley isnt going to be a starter in 2016. 88 mph throwing RHP dont often start if you have another choice.
JJ 3
Dodgers fans LMAOOOO!!
mike156
I’m not sure how you can characterize this. It’s a huge price to pay and a real gamble on his continuing health. They bought quality….but it wouldn’t surprise me if the Dodgers weren’t quietly relieved.
Jatomatic34
Didn’t really want him with that contract. My hope is the Giants sign Cueto and trade Belt for Carrasco and sign Crush. Make it happen Giants!!
bobbleheadguru
Zach Grienke is the same age as Justin Verlander.
Who will have a better next 6 years?
Not as obvious as you think. Consider that Verlander has been injured for almost 2 full years and is finally back to 100%.
Law of averages, Greinke cannot possibly have no injuries over the life of his contract. Can he?
mookiessnarl
Straight up regardless of allegiance, if you were offered Verlander or Greinke for the next 6 years who would you take? I think you’ll find your answer there.
sigurd 2
Indeed, good answer.
stymeedone
if you believe he is healthy, you may choose JV because HE’S CHEAPER.
chesteraarthur
I’m not sure noting 2 years of injury for Verlander is a strength…
koufax32
Great news for Dodger Nation. We aren’t the ones who will have his albatross contract around our necks in 3 years, and the Giants didn’t get him. Win-win!
R.D.
Well I just frightened my neighbors with laughter I think.
Chase Field is directly next to Miller Park in Park Factor rankings, both being in the the 10 top for offense. I think expecting similar results would be much more reasonable than that of a repeat of last year’s dominant performance.
However, Greinke has turned into more of a pitcher than a thrower in that time so he should be a better investment than that. Moving to a home run heavy park will have to affect him though.
Greinke/Corbin/Ray/Anderson/DeLaRosa looks like the current set up with Hellickson, Jhoulys, and Collmentor fighting for a spot. Keeping Collmentor in a swing role and bringing in a solid number two would really solidify this team, but this signing could make a serious difference for a team with plenty of “ok” pitchers. I mean, Ray looks like a breakout candidate already so if one more of those young guys step forward, this could be a top 10 rotation.
In theory of course.
Mike_Davis
You are behind the times. The Dbacks have ranked middle of the pack or lower(#24 in 2015) in HR park factor over the last several seasons. Also, Hellickson & Chacin are no longer on the roster.
chicubbies1
Maybe that’s because outside of Goldschmidt they’ve sucked over the last few years. Of course your park factor will be more pitcher friendly when you only have 1 solid ML bat in your lineup. They now have 2 with Pollock finally getting his act together. While it did rank 24th in HRs allowed, Chase Field ranked 8th in runs allowed. 8th in hits. 5th in doubles. 2nd in triples. I’m looking at past years numbers for all the parks/stadiums and I’d say it’s safe to say that Chase Field is still pretty hitter friendly…. like its always been. I’d have to agree with RD. It should be interesting to see how Greinke does going from a notorious pitchers park in LA to a hitters park in AZ.
chesteraarthur
Pretty sure park factors ignore the home team
jimmyjack
It’s not that they ignore the home team, but you’re right in that a team’s lack of offense “makes” it a pitchers’ park. That’s not how it works. You’re correct. If you care, read the first bit
joeposnanski.com/a-bit-more-math-park-factors/
jimmyjack
Read. Learn.
joeposnanski.com/a-bit-more-math-park-factors/
R.D.
Fair points, but they don’t make my points less valid. Especially when compared to Dodgers stadium. And definitely well less pitching depth.
RollTribe
What in the… Are the Dbacks thinking? They have no bullpen.. They only have Corbin as a pitcher.. The rest of their starters aren’t good.. The only offensive players that are any good are Goldie and Pollack.. Wow.. Dbacks GMs are always stupid.. Over 34 mil a year.. They will trade him after next season and eat 50 mil. He will only win 10 games because their pen is horrible.
rayanselmo
As a Giants fan, I’m partly bummed and mostly feel like SF dodged a bullet. I’d much rather have Cueto, Iwakuma or even Chen – and they could probably get two of those three for much less (per year and total) than one Greinke.
Sky14
Not sure how the PD value could be both $90 million and deferred over only 5 years beyond the contract. That must be one heck of a discount rate.
Chrish815
So dodger rather pay 150 million to 100 to pitcher that up and down and keep 2 kids mite not pan out rather then having 2 controllable pitcher with good track record and have chance to sign Harper mcCutchen cargo Donaldson Walker because you there not going to be able to pay them and pay 150 for pitcher that will not only cost you 150 to 100 million and have to pay dollar for dollar . Ow bye he way dodger fan you gm didn’t draft them and he does have any ties to them only you fans do if dodger have so much money they could easy go sign next Cuban to replace them any way
chicubbies1
English is hard. Better luck next time.
stymeedone
Just another reason to stay in school.
Chrish815
Bye the way are you going to do if Cleveland ask for them in exchange for one there pitcher and loss them both for one of them . Because if you think you get them for just couple prospect that a joke it cost a lot more to get one of them . Ow bye way strike outs over raded just like speed gun is hello think Maddox glavine didn’t though 95 and they won over 300 games . And and hall of famers and heck keuchel does’nt though 95 and he won American cyoung
chesteraarthur
Keuchel struck out 8.38/9.
cjh815
Not because he throw 95 he through 92 and change speed it called pitching . Hate teach this but Greg Maddox use to stike out hit a lot he once stoke out 260 batter in on season and he only though 92 it about change speed and hitting your spot and corner that what make great pitcher what make kershaw so great not because he throw 95 it because he hit spots and has great second dare pitches. Greene had one best season of all time last season it not because he though 94 it because he hit his spots and change speed and keep hitter of stride not only is Greg Maddox but Tom glavine Phil neikro hall of famer it because they know how to pitch not because they could though 95 it because they know how pitch.what makes hamel great was he has great second dare pitch ( change up one of best) So even through pitcher like Carrasco or Salazar though hard I much rather have pitch who know how to pitch like mike miller and Julio the ran the them . Of bye the way athletic and billy beans will not trade sonny gray this off season maybe next year but not this one . Check that if you trade them Peterson seagull Urias Holmes lee buehler perasa beanie mite consider that . And this from Braves fan and some one that born when last time dodge won last World Series . I’m 42 . All this antics are over rated the just a toll team should be built with them what makes great gm he uses them but at end of day I rather see with my eyes to make diction not computer if play is good. Stat like war are way over rated I rather have player that can play hard and lead his team ex special a play can get late ing out in tuff situation and hitter can get a hit in late ing when it mean the most. Bye way if wander why there so many tj or shoulder injures today it very easy figure that out it common sense the body is not ment through 100 and all the time and fact so many pitch are not aloud to build up arm strength there are reason Tom glavine and Greg Maddox did go to dl with arm injuries and blab
Vine only went dl with core injure. So team will reliaze this very soon . And teach pitch to take something off and learn how to pitch not just throw. Also just so you understand is dodge fo didn’t draft Seager or Pederson . And there is different at time when the Dodgers didn’t trade them for hamles they did need at time they had both kershaw and Greinke . Know they don’t if they could go back now they would jump at that trade but they can’t so look at truth that was then this is now your logic does mean anything spending tones of money on free agents does make since if you can get as good or even better pitch like miller and Tehran and only have give some prospect and get two pitcher with team control at team friendly contracts .
kman5000
Now that the Dbacks have decided to go all in with, at least with Grienke, they need to put the pedal to the floor. Sportrac has their 2016 salary at around $33 mil. Once all arbitration eligible players are signed one can safely assume that figure to be around roughly $55 mil give or take. Add Greinke @$34 mil. I think a reasonable figure for them should be right around $120 mil. In a dream scenario I would like to package Tomas and Hill together in a trade for another #2 starter where the acquiring team assumes all their remaining salaries. That would still leave ~$25 mil to have an all in shopping spree at the winter meetings. Probably won’t happen that way, but one can dream.
YourDaddy
..
michaelw
This just in. The Dodgers pull the Mad Hungarian out of retirement and sign him for the league min. Dodgers are back in the game ROTFLMAO.
basquiat
Good for the Diamondbacks. Let’s have some competition in the NL West.
drewm
I wonder if this was LaRussa or ownership
scottaz
LaRussa and Hall met with Mike Leake’s reps yesterday. The D’backs need one more starter and they have the money to get him.
YourDaddy
They went into this with $40 million to spend according to Hall and are spending $34 million on Greinke. They still need help in the pen as well as another starter. Not getting Leake for $6 million or even $10 million or even $15 the way the market is shaping up.
Mike_Davis
$60+ mil is deferred in the Geinke deal. Meaning that likely aav is likely around $24.5. That would leave them with $15+ mil to spend on an additional SP. And considering this is just about an “all in” move, I could see the Dbacks bumping their payroll to $110-120 mil, giving them $10-20 mil more to spend.
scottaz
After they sign Leake for $16-18M AAV, they’ll trade for the bullpen additions–cheap, great closers and set up men you’ve never heard of–Will Smith, Brewers, A.J. Ramos Marlins–and the bullpen will go from embarrassingly good to difficult to believe.
dalealvingribble
Since Grienke is really turning into an excellent control type pitcher. I believe this deal will wind up being better for Arizona than the David Price deal was for Boston. I believe Grienke being the control type pitcher who seems to really start to tap fully into that will age better than Price. Have to give The Diamondbacks a ton of Credit. You got to go big or go home some times, and The Diamondbacks had the money to spend so they went big.
Some of the previous Diamondbacks moves like trading Touki Toussaint for Arroyo didn’t make any sense, but this one makes a ton of sense since The Diamondbacks have some real thunder in their lineup. Almost to the fact that if Grienke is anything similar to this past year, you can almost pencil him in for a W every time out with this offense.
dalealvingribble
Another thing is though. The Tigers must be really happy with their decision to sign Jordan Zimmermann at half the price of Grienke when Zimmermann’s career ERA is 3.32 and Grienke’s career ERA is 3.35
stymeedone
Have to give the rookie GM Avila a tip of the cap for that one. Pelfrey has me scratching my head though.
therealryan
Greinke has a 5.4% BB% over the last 3 years compared to Price who has a 4.3% BB%. So actually, Price is the more control oriented pitcher even though he also strikes out more batters than Greinke.
Rickey O'Sunnyvale
Albatross spotted over Arizona desert.
crazy man.
Philliesfan4life
I said that greinke was not going back to the dodgers and somebody was going to snag him and I was right
jleve618
Man, NL will be competetive outside of the east this year. My Phillies will be good again eventually…
Philliesfan4life
If they offered greinke 210, he would of went there
YourDaddy
All I can say is wow. This is a complete surprise. So glad to see him not return to the Dodgers, but very surprised it was the Dbacks that signed him. With projected revenue of $230 million for 2016 and a payroll of about $110-120 million, Greinke will eat up nearly 30% of that. I don’t see how any team can field a competitive team with that much of payroll invested in one guy. If he gets hurt you are done for years to come. Exciting and very scary time for the Dbacks.
radioball123
My GOSH! Trade Puig! Two of the best pitchers wanted him off the Dodgers and now one of them went to Arizona. This sucks on so many levels.
bobbleheadguru
Extra $125MM payroll compared to anyone else in the division is not enough for you?
Puig does not have much trade value right now. Why would another team want to take a chance on him?
BigGiantHead
The Dodgers could get a bag of balls for Puig. A big bag of baseballs. It would be a good deal for the Dodgers,
southbeachbully
Beeccccause he’s 24 yo, has a ton of promise and is only owed 3/$25 mil? I think Puig would benefit from a change of scenery.
Mr Pike
Locking up Verlander for $28MM through age 36 now seems far sighted to me. Dombrowski seems to stay one step ahead.
bobbleheadguru
Verlander is a bargain now. Same age as Grienke.
stymeedone
neither is a bargain. both have salaries that limit how expensive the players are that play with them. its looking like Maybin will be the LF for Detroit, because of payroll concerns. It will be interesting to see if Arizona is able to afford any players to go with Grienke.
bobbleheadguru
I have no problem with Maybin as the primary LF, as long as he can pay the position defensively, well above average. Comerica needs another CF in LF.
mctigers
It’s having a bat that weak in LF that’s the concern, not the defense.
Mr Pike
There is nothing wrong with the offense. It ranked near the top all year even with VMart and Miggy hurt and Collins in left for 2 months.
They need pitching.
southbeachbully
I don’t know if I would call Verlander a “bargain”. He certainly hasn’t pitched like a $28 million ace in the last 2 years. That’s the inherent risk with these deals in that you’re paying for what they HAVE done knowing that the future years, in totality, are not going to be anywhere as good as their prime years which warranted the big money.
gopads
Grienke was always going to go with the team who offered him the most money – good for him & the NL West is going to be a battle
scottaz
Anyone else taking note of the track record of Stewart and LaRussa with the D’backs? Controversial salary dumps, like including Touki Toussaint to dump salary, along with a huge, new television contract, have positioned Arizona to make this deal. They are succeeding beyond fan expectations. I predict they will find a way to jettison all of Aaron Hills’ $12M contract for 2016. I predict they will jettison all or most of Yasmany Thomas’ $68M contract. And I predict they will receive valuable players in return. Their track record thus far is that they accomplish what needs to happen to make the D’backs a contender. I’m starting to believe in them.
chesteraarthur
I predict you are wrong
chicubbies1
Stewart’s been there for a year. This contract and the huge overpay for Miller which cost them way better players could easily be the downfall for the Diamondbacks. Before becoming a Dodger and pitching in pitcher friendly Dodger Stadium he was just OK from 2004-2012. He had a 3.77 ERA, 3.45 FIP, 114 ERA+, 1.25 WHIP, and 2.3 BB/9 through his age 20-28 seasons. Moving to the Dodgers he saw his numbers dip to 2.30 ERA, 2.97 FIP, 156 ERA+, 1.03 WHIP, and a 1.9 BB/9 through his age 29-31 seasons. He played in hitter friendly Milwaukee for a year and a half in 2011 and 2012. He was pretty mediocre there. I equate Miller Park to Chase Field too in terms of hitter friendliness. I’m not saying Greinke will immediately regress back into the 3.50+ ERA pitcher to go with all the other mediocre stats he put up pre-Dodger days, but I wouldn’t be shocked if after a year or two you start seeing him fall back to it. Not to say that I wouldn’t be shocked if he regresses this first year either, but to say he’ll continue the tear he had over only 3 years of his career with the Dodgers is pretty optimistic thought. Greinke is getting older too, not younger. While “experts” think he’ll age well, it wouldn’t be the first time “experts” got it wrong. For the King’s ransom he is costing the D-backs he’s got to put up Dodger-like numbers at least for the next 3 years to make this deal not look like one of the worst in recent history. I have serious doubts he can do it.
As for miller. I think Aaron Blair alone is better than Miller, let alone Dansby and Inciarte on top of that. Miller’s peripheral numbers are middle of the rotation at best quality. Aaron Blair was a top pitching prospect who was pretty much major league ready. Now, he’s major league ready for the Braves. I’d say it’s 50-50 right now Blair has a better year than Miller if he does in fact see ML playing time, which I don’t see why he wouldn’t. Like Grienke Miller is going from a pitcher park to a hitters park. Miller’s been in places that favor pitchers his whole career. He has a solid career ERA but every other measurable and telling sabermetric stat says his ERA should be about half a run higher than it is. Don’t be shocked if Miller has an ERA closer to 4 than 3 in 2016.
I’m not trying to rain on your parade, but I do think expectations need to be kept in check. Greinke especially. He’s got loads of pressure on him now to be the sole Ace of a staff, and he has the pressure to live up to that salary. That’s a lot of pressure on 1 dude. It’s a LOT easier to pitch like Greinke did with the Dodgers when you have probably the best pitcher in the game pitching right before you in Kershaw. After Greinke the D-backs still have a lot of question marks. Corbin could be good, but he is likely not even in the same universe as Kershaw. Miller……. I really just don’t like Miller’s numbers. Rubby de la Rosa Has been pretty awful his whole career. Robbie Ray surprisingly looked good last year despite putting up pretty bad numbers in the minors. So again, lots of question marks after Greinke. Giving a 32 year old $200+M and throwing away 3 young, SOLID players for a pitcher with questionable peripheral stats…….. that’s how many a front office exec has lost their job more so than it has saved their job.
atd469
I love this move.It feels like a redistribution of wealth in the NL west.Diamondbacks not only win by adding a no 1 guy they’ve been needing for 3+ years but to swoop in and take from the Giants and Dodgers is great.IMO thats all that separated the Dbacks in the first place is a true ace guyer to lead that staff.Dodgers have Kershaw,Giants have Madbum, and now Dbacks have Greinke.Shaping up to be a great season.It will be interesting to watch to say the least.
southbeachbully
As a Yankee fan it feels great to see other teams commit to these big dollar deals. I am NOT making a comment as to whether or not these deals will turn out good or bad but I am glad that we are not alone.
Hopefully, and I think this is the case, the Yanks will strive harder to try and develop their own.
hozie007
After next season Yankees should be about $66M under payroll tax limit (assuming they make no big deals in the meantime) but I don’t see next years FA pitchers group with the same power arms as this year. Steinbrenner sons seem to have a different approach than George did…he would never have let the likes of Price or Greinke get away from him…at any cost.
southbeachbully
I’m not mad at them for abstaining. There’s nothing wrong with a team, at this juncture, deciding that at $215 million in salary on the books, that maybe now is not the time to sign a $30 mil a year player. We are far away from 1 player getting us another championship. We are a team with several flaws.
hozie007
If he brings the DBacks to a positive WL ratio its probably worth it but I don’t see them competing in the post season in the next 2 yrs……am I wrong?
scottaz
Do you know anything at all about the D’backs? BEFORE they acquired Greinke, they were widely expected to be competitive for at least a Wild Card slot. So unless you don’t call Wild Card teams, Post Season teams… So, with Greinke they are now listed alongside the Dodgers and Giants as the favorites in their division. So, watch what they do at the Winter Meetings next week and throughout the rest of the off season. The only question then will be how favored they are to win the World Series. So, yes, you are wrong.
hanks1hammer
I see the D-Backs as an 85 win team at this very moment. The Backs scored 720 runs and were scored against 713 times which means they could have been a few games OVER .500 just as easily as under. The Dodgers won 92 games. Loosing 5 more games without Grienke’s production seems conservative and the Giants don’t seem any better than the 84 wins they had. At this point the NL West looks like the Dodgers, Giants and Diamond Backs are pretty equal on paper
SixFlagsMagicPadres
This was certainly not expected.