The Kansas City Royals made some moves on Wednesday: they traded starter Mike Minor, who finished 2021 with a 5.05 ERA, in exchange for reliever Amir Garrett, and they also brought in an old friend.
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal tweeted the following: “Back to where it started! Royals in agreement with free-agent RHP Zack Greinke, pending physical, sources tell @TheAthletic.”
Back to where it started! Royals in agreement with free-agent RHP Zack Greinke, pending physical, sources tell @TheAthletic.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 16, 2022
In the early 2000s, the Royals had one of the best pitching prospects in baseball in Greinke.
Amid social anxiety issues and inconsistency, it took a little while for him to put it all together in Kansas City, but he did have some amazingly productive years there.
An Impressive Career
He has gone on to pitch in several MLB organizations, such as the Milwaukee Brewers, the Los Angeles Angels, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Houston Astros before landing back where it all started: Kansas City.
Last year, with the Astros, Greinke had a solid, if unspectacular season: he posted a 4.16 ERA in 171 innings, but he wasn’t one of the most trusted arms in Houston’s rotation.
At 38, he decided to return to the place he called home for the first seven years of his MLB career.
He will have a rotation spot, but his most important role will be mentoring the development of the young pitchers of an organization that has failed to develop any game-changers in that position for a while.
He will have some talented hurlers to work with in Jackson Kowar, Daniel Lynch, Brady Singer, and others.
Greinke is getting closer to the end of his career, and will likely say goodbye as one of the oldest and most experienced pitchers in a young, up-and-coming team.
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