Zack Greinke Changes Agents, Reportedly Requests Trade

Now that Cliff Lee is off the board, the rest of the pitching pieces should start falling into place. Carl Pavano. Matt Garza. And Zack Greinke. The Zack Greinke trade rumors died down for a little while there as the Royals had reportedly placed too high a price tag on their young ace, but according to Jon Morosi, things may be on the verge of heating back up.

For one thing, Greinke switched his agent on Friday. His representation has changed from SFX to CAA, and he is now represented by Jeff Barry and Casey Close - who recently became well-known for being Derek Jeter’s agent. CAA took care of Roy Halladay a year ago when he was traded from the Blue Jays to the Phillies.

The Kansas City Royals are bad, Cliff Lee is the only ace-level starter on the market, and Zack Greinke is locked up to an affordable contract for another two years. Not surprisingly, the Zack Greinke trade rumors have been flowing fast and furious already this offseason.

One complication is that built into Greinke’s contract with the Royals is a limited no-trade clause. According to Ken Rosenthal, the Blue Jays - who are interested in Greinke - are on the list, while the Rangers - who are also interested in Greinke - are not. That would seem to make a deal with Texas more likely than a deal with Toronto.

The 27-year-old Zack Greinke is under contract for another two seasons, and the Royals have no need to send their ace away. But in a thin pitching market, the Greinke rumors are blowing all around, and the latest team to get involved is the Blue Jays.

The Jays, it seems, feel they’re one major piece away from being able to contend in the AL East next season, and Greinke fits the mold. He would not come cheaply, and a return package could include top youngsters Kyle Drabek and Travis Snider, but talents like Greinke don’t come around very often, and behind Cliff Lee, he’s the best pitcher on the market.

The Zack Greinke trade rumors aren’t yet out in full force, but there have been whispers. With no clear top-of-the-line starter available on the market outside of Cliff Lee, Greinke’s name has come up as a possible backup plan for both the Rangers and the Yankees, among others.

Four teams whose names won’t come up? The Tigers, Indians, Twins, and White Sox. According to Jon Heyman, at least, the Royals will not consider trading Greinke to another AL Central division rival, because they don’t want to have to see him again a bunch of times after he’s dealt.