Greinke can earn $15M in one-year deal with Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Zack Greinke can earn up to $15 million in his one-year contract to return to the Kansas City Royals.

The 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner rejoined the Royals last year for the first time since 2010 and went 4-9 with a 3.68 ERA in 26 starts and 137 innings. He had a $13 million salary last year and then became a free agent. His deal announced Friday includes an $8.5 million salary for this year.

If he pitches 135 innings, he would earn at least $13 million.

Greinke has $7.5 million in performance bonuses for innings. He would get $450,000 for 90 innings and each additional five innings through 135. He would get $300,000 for 140 innings and each additional five innings through 185.

The 39-year-old right-hander gets a full no-trade provision. He would get $100,000 for winning another Cy Young Award or winning an MVP award and he would get $50,000 for finishing second through fifth in the voting for either honor.

He would get $100,000 for World Series MVP and $50,000 each for League Championship Series MVP, a Gold Glove award or All-Star Game election or selection.

A six-time All-Star, Greinke allowed two runs or fewer in 17 of 26 starts last year.

He began his career in Kansas City as a first-round pick in the 2002 amateur draft. He made his big league debut two years later, beginning a 20-year career that has included time with the Brewers, Angels, Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Astros.

Greinke was later traded to Milwaukee in December 2010 for a package of players that helped to form the backbone of back-to-back American League pennant teams and the club that won the 2015 World Series.

Greinke twice helped the Astros to the World Series, pitched for the Brewers and Dodgers in the NL Championship Series and led the Diamondbacks to the playoffs.

He is first among active pitchers with 514 starts and 3,247 innings, and he’s second to Justin Verlander with 223 wins. Greinke is third in strikeouts (2,882) and has six Gold Gloves.

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