GREINKE ----> $$$

by oc on Jan 26, 2009 10:56 AM PST

The Royals reached agreement Monday morning with right-handed pitcher Zack Greinke on a four-year contract that buys out his first two seasons of free-agent eligibility.

Financial terms were not immediately available.

The deal comes after Greinke, 25, produced a breakout season in 2008 by going 13-10 with a 3.47 ERA in 32 starts. He achieved career highs in numerous categories, including victories, innings and strikeouts.

Greinke had sought $4.4 million through arbitration before agreeing to the multi-year contract. The Royals had offered $3.4 million. He made $1.4 million last season.

Damn... I didn't think Greinke would have it in him to re-up with K.C.

Traditionally, I applaud athletes who decide to stay with the organization that fathered them along... but for fans of teams not named the Royals, starved for a top-of-the-rotation anchor, this news buh-lows. Although I'd like to think he's probably a more attractive trade commodity now than yesterday.

You have to tip your cap to Dayton for the signing. The Royals are essentially all-in for '09, while they allow their plethora of lower level prospects to develop.

They have the potential to be a pretty scary team by the time 2011 arrives... you know... if Butler and Gordon ever get it.

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Fine with me Greinke staying in KC.

I doubt we would ever acquire him and I would rather see him in KC than LAA, OAK, NYY, BOS, etc.

by Wilder. on Jan 26, 2009 11:51 AM PST reply actions

Good for him and good for K.C.

by Aaron Campeau on Jan 26, 2009 12:18 PM PST reply actions

Rec'd for the Gil Meche pun.

There are no good individual basketball statistics.
54!

by joof on Jan 26, 2009 12:19 PM PST reply actions

His slider is Felix-worthy.

And his 72 mph curveball coupled with the 95 mph fastball is just unfair.

I was at Shea for the Felix-Slam!
Personal M's record: 5-4.

by EnglishMariner on Jan 26, 2009 4:55 PM PST reply actions

Agreed. The guy is straight-up filthy.

"The shift arrow points to the gulf between those two keys.
Suggesting that we must find a balance between line breaks, which expand, and contractions, which condense.
Truly, a deep concept." ----- Matthew Carruth

by .Taylor on Jan 26, 2009 7:38 PM PST up reply actions

Im just glad he is finally showing signs of getting his career together.

Ive always liked him, but he didnt meet the hype yet. Hopefully he has a good future ahead of him after this past season.

by Slica on Jan 26, 2009 5:08 PM PST reply actions

We Royals fans desperately needed Moore to get one right

He’s had something of a dry spell. He got a good bargain on Greinke for four years. I think he was helped by the fact that Greinke (and his depression and social anxiety disorder) was really comfortable in KC and wasn’t eager to go to a new team with new players, coaches, etc.

The immoderate moderator

by Scott McKinney on Jan 26, 2009 10:15 PM PST reply actions

“When I left [the team], I didn’t realize there was a cure for what I had,” Greinke said. "I just hated being around people. I just love baseball, and I was going to get a job where I didn’t have to be around people all the time. Mainly mowing grass was my goal, to start up a good lawn-mowing business and just do that. But [former manager] Buddy Bell and [former GM] Allard [Baird] really helped me out a lot in that time. They sent me to someone to just talk to me. The psychologist figured out that it was just pretty simple how I could change what I was thinking and feeling in those situations.

Link

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Jan 27, 2009 9:31 AM PST up reply actions