MLB Free Agency: 5 potential landing spots for Zack Greinke

Now that Zack Greinke has opted out of his contract, his services can go to the largest bidder. Who will land baseball’s newest free agent?

Starting pitcher Zack Greinke has opted out of his deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, trading in his guaranteed three-year, $77 million deal for the chance at one last big payday.

One could hardly fault Greinke. At 32-years-old, he is infinitely more likely find a long-term deal this winter than he will when his current deal expires at the age of 35. While teams may be hesitant to invest a six-year deal in a 35-year-old pitcher, they are more likely to justify taking a risk on losing two or three years at the end of the deal in return for three to four Cy Young caliber seasons.

And that is exactly what Greinke brings to the table. Over the course of twelve seasons with the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Angels, and Los Angeles Dodgers, Greinke has compiled a record of 142-93 with a lifetime ERA of 3.35, an FIP of 3.31, and a K/9 ratio of 8.1.

Greinke will hit the free agent market at the peak of his value as well. The right-hander posted a 19-3 record, a league-leading 1.66 ERA, a 2.76 FIP, and a 0.844 WHIP in 2016. His 5.9 fWAR ranked seventh in all of baseball and will rank second among free agent pitchers, behind only David Price who posted a mark of 6.4 last season.

Of course, it all comes down to market and Greinke will join a fairly impressive group of starters selling their services on the Hot Stove. Given his advanced age and the risk in his contract in the latter years, his market will likely be somewhat limited to the teams capable of burying said risk if it goes sour.

Let’s take a look at which teams will be lining up to ink Zack Greinke.

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