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While getting young pitching development back on track is a top priority for the Kansas City Royals, the team hasn’t shut the door on onetime ace Zach Greinke.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported Monday that the Royals “reserve the possibility,” but the right-hander “may need Accept a lower base salary that may increase with more innings pitched.”
Greenke in Kansas City Through his first seven seasons in MLB, he established himself as an elite starting pitcher, winning the American League Cy Young Award and making the 2009 All-Star team.
The 39-year-old returns to the Royals for the 2022 season, and he’s still effective for a pitcher his age. In 26 starts, he is 4-9 with a 3.68 ERA and 4.03 field goal percentage. – Numbers are faster than ever, Greinke is an anomaly as his sub-90 mph fastball gives opponents Hitters are causing trouble.
The Royals have new managers Matt Quatraro and JJ Picollo running the front office in his first offseason. In a way, you can start a new rebuild with an organization that hasn’t had a winning record in seven years, and that’s what Kansas City is doing.
Signing Greinke was largely an emotional move, as his individual contributions are unlikely to change the team’s Trajectory to 2023. After the Royals signed Jordan Lyles and Ryan Yarbrough, rotation depth wasn’t an urgent need.
But fans and organizations will be happy to see the six-time All-Star wrap up his career in Kansas City. According to Baseball-Reference, he ranks fourth in WAR (28.8) and innings (1,245) and eighth in franchise history.
