Jon Paul Morosi is reporting that Zack Greinke has fired his agent and formally requested a trade from the Royals, who appear interested in fulfilling his request.
↵There’s discussion about this at Lone Star Ball, and I’ll keep my reaction pretty simple:
↵↵This potentially plays very well for the Rangers. The Royals are asking for the moon for Greinke, which is a bit much, but he is worth a lot. Texas is a team NOT covered by his no-trade clause, and if he holds a gun to KC’s head, the price may just go from high to reasonable. It should still take a lot to get Greinke, but he’s worth a lot. He’s one of the best pitchers in baseball even in a year when he seemingly mails it in out of disinterest in his team; that came after having one of the greatest pitching seasons in recent memory. He hasn’t yet even played his age 27 season, so his best years may be in front of him, and he’d help a team with holes in the rotation and the talent to contend right now, something prospects could not.
↵If the cost is reasonable, I’d be far happier with Zack Greinke than I was going to be with Cliff Lee, and that’s saying something.
↵Make it so.