Dodgers: A look back at the 2012 Zack Greinke signing

With the 2010 decade coming to an end later on this month, it’s time to look back at one of the moves that shaped the Dodgers’ decade, the signing of Zack Greinke in 2012.

With the offseason underway, many are speculating as to whom the Dodgers will pick up or let go of. Although fans are at the edge of their seats, let us take a look back at one of the biggest signings for the Dodgers in recent memory; the signing of Zack Greinke.

On December 8, 2012, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Greinke to a six-year deal. He didn’t have to go far, as he spent half of the previous season in Anaheim with the Angels after being traded by the Brewers at the trade deadline.

In the offseason of 2012, when the Dodgers began to show interest in starting pitching. They came across Greinke and were very interested in his steady dominance. The Dodgers ended up offering him a six-year free-agent contract for $147 million, which was the largest ever for a right-handed pitcher at the time. The Dodgers were in a race with the Texas Rangers, but Greinke later claimed that he chose LA because of the money.

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Greinke was dominant during his time in Dodger blue. He held an ERA of 2.30 in 92 games. He struck out 555 in 602 innings. He also finished with an ERA+ of 156, a FIP of 2.97 and a WHIP of 1.027. All three years he finished top eight in the Cy Young voting and finished as high as second in 2015. He made two All-Star teams, won two Gold Gloves, and even won a Silver Slugger.

In the offseason following the 2015 season, Greinke signed a six-year deal worth $206 million with the D-Backs. He spent three-and-a-half seasons with them before being traded to the Houston Astros at the 2019 trade deadline.

Though he was with the Dodgers for only three seasons, he had one of the better stretches any Dodgers starter has had with the team. He won 51 games and posted numbers few pitchers have ever done when he finished 2015 with a 1.66 ERA, 222 ERA+, and 0.844 WHIP.

Some Dodgers fans are still upset with Greinke for opting out of his contract and signing with a division rival, but for more money, who can blame him. He gave LA three great years, and put together one of the best seasons in Dodger’s history.