3 Royals Who Will Be Replaced by Free Agent Signings
By Joe Summers
2. Zack Greinke - SP
My favorite Royal of all time hasn't yet decided if he'll retire, but the organization should operate under the assumption that Greinke won't be part of the 2024 roster.
He'll either retire or won't handle a lot of innings, so Kansas City needs to rebuild the rotation regardless of Greinke's ultimate decision.
Greinke had a 6.13 ERA this season and hasn't eclipsed 143 innings in either of the last two seasons. He's a legend and automatic first-ballot Hall of Famer, though we've reached the end of his run. If the Royals are serious about competing next year, they'll bring in AT LEAST two free agent arms that can contribute to the rotation.
Greinke is a KC legend but this just isn’t a move they should make. Focus on winning baseball games. A 41 year-old Zack Greinke should not be in any team that is actually trying to win games’ rotation. https://t.co/Po7sZvTiFf
— Ryan Landreth (@ryan_landreth) November 10, 2023
Unfortunately, this is the correct take. Greinke's velocity dipped in recent years, understandably so, and he's just not an effective pitcher at this stage.
The goal should be winning games. If it is, then the Royals must put their rotation in a position to move on from the legendary starter.