The Los Angeles Dodgers are close to signing free agent ace pitcher Zack Greinke according to a source who told ESPN . The deal is reportedly worth $147 million dollars over the next six years. The deal will be the largest ever for a right handed pitcher and second only to CC Sabathia’s $161 million dollar contract he signed with the New York Yankees in 2009.
In addition to the money, Greinke will will have a new trade clause and he will be able to opt out of the full contract if he is traded in the first year.
There have been reports that the Dodgers were the front runners for Greinke until this week when the Rangers seemed to jump right into the mix. The Rangers seemed willing to spend just as much going after Greinke but the Dodgers may have over compensated on the perks and stability of the contract.
As recently as Tuesday, Didgers general manager Ned Colletti seemed to think the Dodgers may be out of the running. When asked whether the Dodgers and Greinke were on the doorstep of a deal, Colletti said:
“We’re not on the front lawn. … We’re barely out of the car at the curb. It’s better than driving around the neighborhood looking for the house. We know where the house is located. We just can’t seem to get out of the car.”
The source told ESPN that the Rangers have been told that they are no longer in the running for Greinke.
The Dodgers have also won the bidding to negotiate with South Korean phenom Ryu Hyun-jin with a $25.7 million dollar posting fee. If they fail to reach a deal with Ryu’s agent Scott Boras by Sunday evening he will stay in Korea. If the Dodgers sign him their rotation will be one of the most feared in the National League this year.
The Dodgers already took on more than $300 million dollars in salary obligations last season when they took on Hanley Ramirez from the Miami Marlins and Adrian Gonzalez , Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett from the Boston Red Sox .
