What are the odds Zack Greinke will return to the Milwaukee Brewers as a free agent this offseason?
Greinke was traded to the Angels at the trade deadline due to the Brewers sinking as low as they have all year (thanks bullpen!). However, Greinke is only a loaner for the Angels this season, as he is a free agent after the 2012 season.
The real question is: where will Greinke end up?
The Brewers would love to resign him; they have already reportedly offered to resign him to a Matt Cain-esque,
5-year, $100M+ extension, which he reportedly turned down. To give hope to Brewers fans, Greinke has expressed his love for Milwaukee on several occasions, although the true sentiment behind those comments can be argued.
On the Angels side, Tim Kurkijan reported the Angels will “do everything they can to sign Greinke long term.” Although, MLB Trade Rumors says the Angels are in no rush to initiate contract talks with Greinke. Angels GM Jerry Dipoto said, ““It’s something we’d like to explore at some point, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
History shows Greinke will not sign with a big market club, as he was traded to the Brewers instead of the Yankees in 2010 due to concerns of how well he could handle New York. Or perhaps the trade simply wasn’t good enough for the Yankees? (Yeah…ok…)
However, if Greinke manages to do well with a large market team (the Angels) will he be more willing to expand his view of potential suitors when he hits the open market? And if so, what other big market teams are lurking in the shadows waiting to pounce to snatch him up? The chances of Greinke resigning with the Brewers are better than they usually are with big free agents, but all it takes is one team to overspend in a market where he feels comfortable and he’s gone.
