With Zack Greinke accepting Dodgers’ deal, Brewers address other areas – MLB News
The finalization of six year, $147 million, deal between the Los Angeles Dodgers and free agent Zack Greinke has a lot for the Milwaukee Brewers to ponder over. The pitcher was earlier traded by the Brewers to Los Angeles Angels because they did not want
to lose him in free agency.
The Brewers have a history of having traded some of the highest-paid players in baseball. With the deal that Zack Greinke signed, he is now the highest paid right handed pitcher in the history, earning $24.5 million annually.
Previously, it was CC Sabathia – who was also part of the Brewers, who was earning $24.4 million. The Brewers were said to have offered $100 million to Greinke earlier. However, the pitcher had a second thought about it – prompting the Brewers to trade him
to the Angels.
A quick look at the players like Carlos Lee, now Houston Astros outfielder, Sabathia, Francisco Cordero and Greinke shows that they all were acquired by the Brewers in trades. But before they would become free agents, the Brewers once again moved to trade
them.
The aforementioned players have remained highest paid in the respective positions. Interestingly, all were offered contract extensions by Brewers, but none accepted and instead looked for bigger deals.
"We're a pretty good farm for big free-agent contracts," Milwaukee general manager Doug Melvin said.
The failure to secure Zack Greinke may force the club to sceptically reassess it. But Melvin has a different perspective.
"That's the way free agency works," Melvin said. "That's the business we're in. That's the system in place right now. We keep doing what we can do, and that's it.”
Melvin continues: "I don't blame players for taking the money that they're getting. I don't think anybody in any business is going to turn down money that's offered to them."
Having had 34 starts this past season, Greinke posted 3.48 ERA with 15-5 record, pitching a total of 212.1 innings, and having had 200 strikeouts.
Whatever the end result of it all, Melvin is focused on what the team has to do next: "Everybody has to do what they have to do, make whatever deals they feel are best for their own situation. Everybody's parameters are different."
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