Zack Greinke spurns Dodgers for reported 6-year deal with Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed pitcher Zack Greinke, according to multiple reports.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears from sources that the Diamondbacks are pursuing free agent starter Zack Greinke.

The Diamondbacks had tried to sign Johnny Cueto, having a six-year, $120 million offer rejected.

Greinke is coming off a season in which he pitched to an MLB-leading 1.66 ERA in 222 2/3 innings for the Dodgers.

The deal is for six years, ESPN reported, and is expected to include guaranteed money of about $180 million. Arizona’s last playoff series win came in 2007.

“I think just what him and Clayton have meant to our club over the last three years is just that one-two punch”.

The San Francisco Giants were rumored to be among the top bidders for Greinke, the 2009 American League Cy Young Award victor while with the Kansas City Royals.

The second-highest scoring team in the league in 2015 finished 79-83 because of a awful pitching staff, a weakness addressed not only with the addition of Greinke, but a full season of Patrick Corbin, who was solid in 16 starts in his return from Tommy John surgery.

Greinke won Game 2 of the NLDS against the Mets, but lost Game 5 when he allowed a go-ahead home run to Daniel Murphy. “The money is definitely important”, Diamondbacks general manager Dave Stewart said at the time. Greinke opted out of the final three years and $71M left on his contract after the season. “We said that we are going to try to do what we can to promote our young pitchers but also give ourselves a chance to make some savings so that we can have an opportunity to do things at a later date”. So must the Giants, who had looked like the Dodgers’ top competition to sign Greinke.

The Dodgers will still likely be in play for at least one free agent pitcher, just likely not one in the deep end of the pool.

Greinke’s departure also significantly weakens the Dodgers.