(610 Sports) – Following the news earlier today that the Royals were looking to sign a right-handed starting pitcher after dealing Mike Minor to the Reds, the team has done just that. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Royals agreed to terms on a one-year deal with right-handed pitcher Zack Greinke.
Greinke will make a guaranteed $13 million on the one-year deal, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post and up to $2 million in incentives.
Greinke returns to Kansas City where he spent the first seven seasons of his MLB career after being selected 6th overall in the 2002 MLB Draft.
A six-time All-Star and six-time Gold Glove winner, Greinke went 11-6 in 29 starts during the 2021 regular season with 120 strikeouts and a 4.16 ERA in a team-high 171.0 innings pitched.
The hard-throwing right-hander won the AL Cy Young Award in 2009 after posting an MLB-best 2.16 ERA. He enjoyed the best year of his career in 2015 with the Dodgers, recording a career-low 1.66 ERA with a 19-3 record.
Greinke's second stint in Kansas City comes after spending time with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Milwaukee Brewers. Greinke was a part of the Astros' American League pennant win in 2019. Houston lost the World Series to the Washington Nationals in seven games.