Zack Greinke agrees to six-year deal with Arizona Diamondbacks

And it would not be surprising to see a big money team like the Los Angeles Dodgers blow him away with a deal much larger than everyone else – because they are desperate for another big arm.

Greinke, 32, is coming off arguably the best year of his 12-year career. Greinke helped the Dodgers win their third straight division title this season, then opted out of his contract to become a free agent.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Friday night because there hadn’t been an official announcement. Fox Sports first reported an agreement.

Greinke finished second this year in voting for the Cy Young Award, close behind Jake Arrieta of the Chicago Cubs.

Greinke’s decision looked especially wise Tuesday, when David Price agreed to a seven-year, $217 million contract with the Boston Red Sox.

The signing, which comes just ahead of Sunday’s opening of the winter meetings in Nashville, Tennessee, is a massive statement by the upstart Diamondbacks, who are coming off a middling season but were poised to contend in 2016 because of a potent and athletic lineup anchored by All-Star outfielder A.J. Pollock and N.L. MVP runner-up Paul Goldschmidt.

History shows the soon-to-be 31-year-old is not a consistent front-of-the-rotation starter, but it also tells that he is capable and talented enough to be one. They’re not even Samardzija or Jordan Zimmermann.

ESPN is reporting that the deal is worth a total of $206 million, while Jon Heyman at CBS Sports reports that there is $60 million in deferred money, making the value around $190 million.

Though Price’s contract may have stirred up controversy for its vast price tag, Friday’s Greinke news is just as unexpected.

Last year, Greinke led the Majors with a truly hard-to-believe 1.66 ERA, going 19-3 over 32 starts. Nobody expected Greinke to sign with the D-Backs, because earlier in the week it was said he would either sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers or the San Francisco Giants. They went 79-83 in the 2015 season, 3rd in the NL West. They have room to improve with their young prospects in Dansby Swanson and Archie Bradley.

The Diamondbacks aren’t a huge market team, which limits their spending abilities. In June, they traded pitcher Bronson Arroyo to Atlanta to further reduce their payroll. They’re going to have to get creative. Dodgers fans’ faces were figuratively Sedona red, as Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times put it, after Arizona made lighter news the previous day by announcing changes to their uniforms.

His outstanding season included a scoreless streak of 45 2/3 innings. A Gold Glove victor who also likes to hit, he teamed with lefty Clayton Kershaw to give the Dodgers a formidable 1-2 combo at the top of the rotation. He was 51-15 in three years with the Dodgers.

Arizona will lose its first-round draft pick, No. 13 overall. Iwakuma has quietly been a solid No. 2 pitcher in his time with the Seattle Mariners, but it appears likely that the 34-year-old will want to escape the Mariners and sign with a contender. His departure figures to be a setback for the Dodgers, whose rotation now consists of Clayton Kershaw and a series of wild cards.

In October, the Dodgers parted ways with now-Marlins manager Don Mattingly and later hired former major leaguer Dave Roberts as his replacement.