Kansas City Royals: Biggest Trades In Recent Years
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zack Greinke – Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
December 19, 2010: Royals trade Zack Greinke to Brewers
Newer Royals fans might not know this, but Zack Greinke (now of the Arizona Diamondbacks) was once a Kansas City Royal. He was the team’s first-round selection in the 2002 MLB Draft, and quickly worked his way into their starting rotation.
After years of pitching for a bad team, Greinke wanted out. He wanted to pitch for a contender, not a team that was rebuilding.
Five years later though, the Royals have been to two World Series, winning one, and they did it with two of the guys that they got in the Greinke deal.
Dayton Moore eventually granted him his wish and sent Greinke to the Milwaukee Brewers along with Yuniesky Betancourt. In exchange, the Royals received Jeremy Jeffress and Jake Odorizzi, along with two guys named Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar.
At the time, people were angry with Greinke.
It sucked that a guy who won a Cy Young with this team wanted to go elsewhere and that we weren’t good enough for him. Five years later though, the Royals have been to two World Series, winning one, and they did it with two of the guys that they got in the Greinke deal.
Cain and Escobar have been a huge part in helping these Royals get to where they are now. Cain was the ALCS MVP in 2014, and Escobar was the ALCS MVP in 2015.
Greinke has yet to make it to one World Series during his stints with the Brewers, Angels, and Dodgers.
The funny part of this trade is that Zack Greinke wanted out of Kansas City because he wanted to pitch for a contender. He wanted to be a winner.
While the Royals were still bad for the first few years of Greinke being absent, they’ve been to two World Series since the deal was done. Greinke has yet to make it to one World Series during his stints with the Brewers, Angels, and Dodgers.
You have to wonder if Greinke ever regrets his decision to leave Kansas City. He wanted to be on a winning team, and the team that drafted him became just that, not only without him, but BECAUSE of him. There’s no doubt that Cain and Escobar helped lead this team to greatness, and we wouldn’t have had that without parting ways with Greinke.
Somehow though, I think Greinke is just fine with all of the money he made with the Dodgers, and what he’ll be earning throughout the rest of his career. He will now call Arizona home, as he signed a massive six-year contract with the Diamondbacks worth $206.5 million.
Was trading Zack Greinke away worth it?
Absolutely, because the Royals got two of their best players out of this deal in Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar. Both of these guys helped lead the Royals to back-to-back World Series and have become staples in Kansas City Royals history.
Next: The turning point