Zack Greinke signs with Arizona Diamondbacks for reported six-year deal

Mendenhall reached a five-year agreement with Virginia that starts at $3.25 million per year.

Greinke’s contract gave him the flexibility to find a new home. At this time, I don’t know if the Giants nor the Dodgers negotiated on a six year deal with the right hander.

But Friedman is no longer overseeing a low-budget team in Tampa Bay that couldn’t afford to waste any money and had to build through the draft.

In addition to his effectiveness, Greinke’s value is in his dependability, which is why some teams were more willing to overlook his age when there were younger starters – Price is 30, Zimmermann is 29, Cueto is 29, Samardzija is 30, Yovani Gallardo is 29 – on the market.

Greinke, 32, was 19-3 with the Dodgers in 2015, leading the major leagues with a 1.66 ERA and 0.844 WHIP. The remainder of the rotation had a 4.41 ERA. Their payroll last season was $85 million. As much as the D-backs did not want to say it, the 2015 season was a time for discovery, a year for La Russa and Stewart to separate the wheat from the chaff, a year to cut financial losses while saving for the future during manager Chip Hale’s first season.

Braves-Mariners trade • The Atlanta Braves have added bullpen depth by acquiring hard-throwing righthander Jose Ramirez from the Seattle Mariners for a player to be named and/or cash. Wood pitched reasonably well for the Dodgers – he was 5-6 with a 4.35 ERA in 12 starts – but not well enough to earn a start in the postseason. While they missed out on Greinke, that might not be a bad thing, considering the cost and length of term that they would have had to dole out. Brett Anderson is injury prone and that concerns management. The 32-year-old Greinke helped the Dodgers win their third straight division title this season, then opted out of his contract to become a free agent.

Arizona made a run at Johnny Cueto earlier this offseason, offering a six-year deal worth $120 million. The Dodgers appear to have been uncomfortable with a six-year deal.

That doesn’t make the situation hopeless. Matt Cain was slowed by further elbow issues after undergoing surgery late in the 2014 season, while right-hander Tim Hudson retired and Mike Leake and Ryan Vogelsong are free agents. The St. Louis Cardinals have been connected to Leake as well and need a rotation replacement for John Lackey, who is poised to sign a two-year deal with the Cubs. He struck out 200 in 222-2/3 innings. Greinke is joining a strong core that includes Paul Goldschmidt, A.J. Pollock, Patrick Corbin, Ender Inciarte and Robbie Ray.