Six-time All-Star pitcher and the 2009 American League Cy Young award winner, Zack Greinke, will be returning to the Kansas City Royals for what will be his 20th Major League season.
The deal, which was first reported by Bob Fescoe on his 610 Sports radio show in Kansas City, is expected to be finalized by Tuesday. According to MLB insider Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Greinke’s one-year deal to return to Kansas City is expected to be between $8-10 million with additional performance bonuses.
Greinke was selected with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2002 MLB Draft by Kansas City and spent his first stint with the Royals from 2004-10. From there, he spent time with the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels, Arizona Diamondbacks and Houston Astros, before returning to Kansas City on a one-year deal for the 2022 season.
In his return to Kansas City, Greinke pitched to a 4-9 record with a 3.68 ERA in 26 starts. Greinke struck out just 73 batters in 137 innings, which was among a career-low when factoring in innings pitched. Greinke’s 4.8 strikeout rate per innings was the worst of his big league career.
Greinke will return for another year, back where it all started.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.