Greinke in play
Giants, Dodgers could battle it out for free agent ace,
When San Francisco Giants general manager Bobby Evans was asked at a season-ending news conference about keeping up with the three-time division champion Los Angeles Dodgers, he didn’t hesitate for a moment in saying, “We don’t want to keep up with them. We want to pass them.”
They might have the resources to do it.
A showdown for Zack Greinke’s services between the two National League West rivals might be looming now that the strong Cy Young Award candidate has opted out of his Dodgers contract and become a free agent.
The move was expected, considering Greinke, 32, is coming off an outstanding season and figures to land a deal for at least twice the three years and $71 million left on his contract. His availability moves him toward the top of an impressive class of free agent starters that includes fellow Cy Young winner David Price, Johnny Cueto, Jordan Zimmermann and Scott Kazmir.
The Dodgers rotation is currently made up of Clayton Kershaw and Alex Wood, with fellow lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu (shoulder) and veteran Brandon McCarthy (elbow) coming off surgery. Brett Anderson, who went 10-9 with a 3.69 ERA on a one-year deal with Los Angeles, also became a free agent this week.
So there’s little doubt the Dodgers will be major players on the market, but their willingness to shell out a contract that would tie them to Greinke into his late 30s is in question, even when his 1.66 ERA last season ranked as the majors’ best since Greg Maddux posted a 1.63 mark in 1995.
For the Giants, going after Greinke could be the most effective way of loosening the Dodgers’ stranglehold on the NL West, not only bolstering their depleted starting rotation but weakening their rival’s as well. No other free agent offers such a compelling double benefit, and it’s worth noting that Greinke has a career 1.78 ERA at AT&T Park and a 7-0 record with a 2.19 ERA against San Francisco.
The Giants have not been shy about spending big on pitchers, though the results haven’t always been favorable. They set a record by signing left-hander Barry Zito to a seven-year, $126 million con- tract in 2006, paid a fading Tim Lincecum $18 million last season and extended Matt Cain for six years and $127.5 million in 2012.
Aware of the issues with a rotation in which ace left-hander Madison Bumgarner was the only reliable starter, the San Francisco brass doggedly pursued Jon Lester last offseason before the veteran left-handed pitcher opted for a similar offer — six years, $155 million — from the Chicago Cubs.
The World Series champions in 2010, 2012 and 2014 have not only the desire but also the money to invest in another even-year title run.
The Giants have sold out every game at AT&T Park for the last five years, and on Tuesday they came out victorious in a ballot measure that might significantly increase their revenue.
The club has been seeking to build a high-rise district of housing, offices and retail space in the lot just south of the ballpark, which is used for parking. San Francisco voters overwhelmingly approved their proposal to raise the height limit for buildings in that site, and, even with the commitment to offer some apartments at below-market rates, the project figures to turn into a financial windfall.
Would that put the teams on equal financial footing? Probably not.
The Giants’ local TV contract pales in comparison with the Dodgers’ cable TV deal, estimated at $7 billion. And while San Francisco’s payroll has grown incrementally into the $175 million to $180 million range, the Dodgers’ surged to $310 million by the end of last season, shattering the MLB record.
So if it came down to a dollar-for-dollar battle, the Dodgers would have the edge if they wanted to offer Greinke a lavish longterm deal. There have been indications they might not, as the management team run by president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman seeks to employ a sustainable model that relies more on the farm system.
The Dodgers have already committed $176 million over the next seven years to keeping Kershaw at Chavez Ravine, while the Giants have their own ace, Bumgarner, locked up through 2019 for a relatively meager $45.25 million.
That, along with the approximately $50 million coming off the books with the expiring contracts of Lincecum, Tim Hudson and others, puts the Giants in position to revamp their starting staff and make a big splash.
The final decision could possibly be based on personal preference and not just money. Greinke, who hails from Florida, has spent the last three seasons in Los Angeles and told reporters during the playoffs, “I really can’t think of anything not positive to say about the whole experience.”
On the other hand, he has also expressed his admiration for the Giants players and the organization.
Other big-budget teams are sure to make a pitch for Greinke, but this has the makings of another knockdown, drag-out fight between the two longtime rivals, with Greinke as the ultimate winner.