Zack Greinke is OK with Kansas City Royals fans booing him

Zack Greinke doesn’t necessarily say much. When he does talk though, he speaks his mind. He is blunt and candid. Perhaps the most enjoyable example of that fact was when he called Chris Carpenter a “phony” back in 2011.

More from Los Angeles Dodgers

• Shohei Ohtani trade rumors live tracker: Every update so far
• After frantic trade day, Kiké Hernandez grateful for second chance with Dodgers
• This White Sox-Dodgers trade for bullpen help could lead to LA reunion
• MLB Trade Grades: Dodgers reunite with familiar face in Red Sox deal
• MLB Rumors: Cardinals budging on Arenado, Orioles-Ohtani package, Yankees backup plan

Greinke was just as candid and straightforward when he announced his desire to get traded out of Kansas City in 2010. He wanted to play for a winner. He didn’t think the Royals were going to win anytime soon. He said so, and he was eventually dealt.

Four years later, Royals fans got another chance to boo Greinke. And boo them they did, loudly, as they enjoyed the series of events as the Royals’ offense roughed up the ace. Asked about it after the game, Greinke said he understands why he was booed. As quoted in the Los Angeles Times:

"“I don’t know,” Greinke said. “I was pretty rude on the way out. They have every right to be mad at me.”“I didn’t want to be rude,” he said. “I felt I had to in order to get traded, and I wanted to get traded.”"

Greinke also observed that he has not necessarily seen such negative reception in his previous returns to Kansas City. That might be explained, however, by the fact that he plays on the Los Angeles Dodgers and their league-leading payroll.

They called the New York Yankees the “evil empire” for a reason, after all, and now the Dodgers have surpassed them as the team that is “trying to buy championships.” It might be that Greinke, like all of his teammates, is now more likely to draw the ire of fans in opposing parks…especially those for one of his former teams.