The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants are the top targets to land free agent Zack Greinke and the pitcher could make a decision soon about where to sign this offseason. The Dodgers have missed out on David Price and if Greinke decides to sign with the Giants, there is a chance the team could go after Johnny Cueto or look at trades with Joc Pederson and Yasiel Puig to land another starter like Shelby Miller.
The Dodgers are very interested in bringing Greinke back after the pitcher opted out of his contract this offseason and he now is considered to be the top pitcher on the market. According to Jerry Crasnick at ESPN, Greinke is seeking at least $30 million annually and he may want a bit more than that after David Price signed for seven years and $217 million with the Red Sox. Greinke is a 32-year-old pitcher and some teams may not want to go to five or six years on a contract based on his age.
Jon Heyman at CBS Sports reported earlier in November that the Giants were the likely top threat to sign Greinke away from the Dodgers and now that David Price has signed with the Red Sox, San Francisco is making a push to bring in the star pitcher. Heyman reports that Greinke is very likely to sign with the Dodgers or the Giants and that a sixth year on a contract from Greinke could be the clinching point to get the pitcher.
Last season Greinke put up some historic numbers with a 19-3 record, 1.66 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP and he finished in the top three in Cy Young voting. Greinke has been very consistent during his three seasons with the Dodgers, posting a 51-15 record with a 2.30 ERA over that time. The team wants to keep an ace pitcher alongside Clayton Kershaw and if Greinke doesn't end up signing with the Dodgers, it's likely the team will go after Cueto or another free agent pitcher. But there is no one else available now that is quite as good as Greinke and the team will surely take a hit in the rotation of he leaves, especially if it's for the rival Giants.
The Dodgers may look at Cueto or the trade market if Greinke leaves and Shelby Miller has come up as a potential target. According to Heyman, the Braves are willing to trade Miller and the Dodgers could be interested in making a move, but the team is not discussing Joc Pederson in any deal, despite some reports linking the young player to trades. The Dodgers reportedly would rather trade other prospects than move Pederson. Yasiel Puig has also come up in trade rumors this offseason, but Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports that the Dodgers are not expected to move Puig this offseason.
Check here for more on the Dodgers, Greinke and trade options.
