Zack Greinke and the Kansas City Royals are hoping the wait was worth it.
The Royals officially signed Greinke to a 1-year, $8.5 million contract Friday, just in time for this weekend’s Royals Rally at Kauffman Stadium and spring training in a couple weeks. It had been widely believed Greinke would return to the Royals for his 20th season in pro ball, but his return took a little longer than expected as the organization made changes to the front office and coaching staff. But Greinke is all in.
“I ended up feeling pretty good about where things are,” Greinke said. “And so, family wanted me to keep playing. I enjoyed last season. That was probably the most fun I’ve had in a while. Even though we didn’t win a lot of games the team was a lot of fun to play with. And there were a lot of reasons to keep playing.”
Last year, the 39-year-old Greinke went 4-9 with a 3.68 ERA in 26 starts covering 137 innings. Greinke went on the injured list twice last year with forearm injuries but was still effective on the mound even though his fastball topped out at about 89 mph.
While Greinke struck out just 73 batters, he walked only 27, something the young pitchers on staff can certainly learn from.
“He had a good year last year, and that’s the primary reason why we’re bringing him back,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. “But the secondary reason is the influence he has on the young pitchers, and I don’t think that can be overstated.
“You need to have that type of presence on the team, somebody they can look to and depend on for some leadership, work ethic. And his work ethic is next to none.”
The Royals drafted Greinke with the sixth overall pick in 2002 and he made his MLB debut two years later. The Royals traded Greinke following the 2010 season, and he spent time with the Brewers, Angels, Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Astros before returning to Kansas City last year as a free agent.
Greinke, a longtime fan favorite, had his best season with the Royals in 2009 when he won the Cy Young. The 2023 season will mark Greinke’s ninth with the Royals. In his Royals career, Greinke is 64-76 with a 3.80 ERA and ranks seventh all-time in strikeouts (1,004), eighth in starts (195) and eighth in innings pitched (1,245).
“He’s been great for the organization,” Picollo said. “I know our fans appreciate who he is, what he represents, and we’re proud that he’s still a Royal.”
Greinke said he never really considered retiring this offseason, and as long as he stays healthy and can perform to his liking, he’ll probably keep on pitching.
“The family likes me playing, and I like playing,” Greinke said. “And I feel like I’m still solid. So I’ll keep trying it.”
