The Los Angeles Dodgers, as recently as a week or so ago, were viewed as the prohibitive favorites to re-sign 2015 NL Cy Young Award runner-up Zack Greinke. However, their foothold in negotiations with the ace righty appears to be getting slippier as the days go on.
The NL West rival San Francisco Giants have emerged as a legitimate threat in the race to sign Greinke, with signs pointing to them having placed him atop their wishlist as their #1 target. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports lends credence to this notion, adding that the Giants may be looking to land two starting-caliber pitchers before next year's Spring Training.
Greinke opted out of the final three years and $71 million of his previous deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he will likely double that on the open market. It remains to be seen if the Giants are willing to play financial hardball to land Greinke -- at least the level of financial hardball that the deep-pocketed Dodgers will play in hopes of keeping him on board alongside fellow ace Clayton Kershaw.
The 32-year-old Orlando native dazzled all season long in Los Angeles, posting a miniscule 1.66 ERA and 0.84 WHIP in 222.2 innings pitched (32 starts). He finished 19-3 overall, hitting the 200-strikeout mark with just 40 walks credited.
If the Giants and Dodgers fail to get a hold on Greinke, the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals are also in the mix for him. There's also the Boston Red Sox lurking, who are said to be willing to overpay by as much as $20-30 million to secure an ace for the front of their starting rotation.
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