Arizona Diamondbacks make Zack Greinke deal official
Dec 8, 2015, 12:01 PM
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Zack Greinke throws to the New York Mets during the first inning in Game 2 of baseball's National League Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
(AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
It’s official. Zack Greinke is the new ace of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The news shook the baseball world when it broke Friday that Arizona was the team to sign one of the most coveted free agents on the market, but the Diamondbacks didn’t make a formal announcement until Tuesday after Greinke passed his physical.
“Zack fills the frontline starter need we’ve been exploring for a while,” Diamondbacks general manager Dave Stewart said in a press release. “He is an established, proven competitor and his body of work speaks for itself. Zack will be a tremendous influence on our young starters.”
The six-year, $206.5 million contract comes out to a record $34.4 million each year—the highest average salary in baseball history.
The 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner joins Arizona after finishing the 2015 season second in the NL voting with an MLB-best 1.66 ERA, the lowest ERA in Major League Baseball since 1995.
New threads for the new #Dbacks ace. #️⃣2️⃣1️⃣#JoinTheEvolution pic.twitter.com/yAXKckhRPr
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) December 8, 2015
The 32-year-old right-hander has a combined ERA of 3.35 over his 12-year major league career where he has struck out 1,887 batters and walked 508.
“Thanks to ownership and our leadership team, we are able to build our rotation around Zack and be competitive for years to come. This is an exciting time for the team and our fans,” said Stewart.
The Diamondbacks join the Royals, Brewers, Angels and Dodgers as the fifth organization that Greinke has played for.
To make room for Greinke, Arizona designated pitcher A.J. Schugel for assignment.
