*Photo from Sports Illustrated*
The old veteran is sticking around for another shot. The Kansas City Royals and RHP Zack Greinke have agreed to a one year, $8.5 million deal, according to an announcement by owner John Sherman.
Greinke is continuing his second stint with the Royals after signing with them in free agency last offseason, having originally started his career in Kansas City. The 39 year old has $7.5 million in bonuses in addition to his $8.5 million salary.
Royals GM JJ Picollo said of the signing that "We're really happy to announce Zack's signing. I think it’s something we all knew was coming and were hopeful about, going back to the end of the season last year. We had a really good conversation with Zack, he was very clear about how much he liked Kansas City and that he wanted to come back. Along the way, we had some changes with our staff. There were some things to work out."
Last season was a typical Zack Greinke campaign for the veteran righty. He ended the year with a 1.34 WHIP, 4.03 FIP, and 3.68 ERA, striking out 73 hitters while throwing 137 innings, making 26 starts for the Royals.
Since Greinke debuted in 2004 with the Royals, he has played for 6 teams over two decades, playing across both the AL and NL before returning to the Royals last season. In 17 of his 26 starts, he allowed two or less earned runs and had a 111 ERA+, 11 percentage points above the league average.
Greinke has played 19 seasons in the majors, with 2023 set to be his 20th. In that time, he has amassed a 3.42 ERA, 3.47 FIP, and 1.17 WHIP, throwing 3,247 innings while striking out 2,882 hitters in 514 starts and 42 relief appearances. In the postseason, Greinke has a 4.14 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 22 playoff games, totaling 113 innings.
Asked about his 2022 season, Greinke said "That was probably the most fun I’ve had in a while, even though we didn’t win a lot of games. The players were fun to be around, the young guys. They’re just happy to be playing, trying their hardest, trying really hard to get better. When we did go on a couple of win streaks, you could tell how much fun it’s going to be if the team ends up doing good this year. It’s going to be even better, because there are good personalities on the team."
Among active pitchers, Greinke's 514 starts and 3,247 innings rank first, while his win and strikeout totals rank second and 3rd respectively. His 76.5 career WAR ranks 3rd among active pitchers, and he also is a 6 time All Star, two time silver slugger, and one time gold glover.
The Royals have signed Jordan Lyles, Ryan Yarbrough, and Aroldis Chapman this offseason, while trading outfielder Michael A Taylor and infielder Adalberto Mondesi, acquiring Josh Taylor for Mondesi.
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