The Diamondbacks have been having some trouble finding a potential trade partner for Zack Greinke this offseason, and that mainly has to do with his massive contract. However, the pitcher’s extensive no-trade list probably doesn’t help.
Greinke is 35 and still owed nearly $105 million over the next three seasons, and Zach Buchanan of The Athletic noted this week that many of the teams that would be able and might be willing to take on the right-hander’s contract — the Red Sox, Yankees, Cardinals, and Phillies — are one his no-trade list. According to Buchanan, the deal Greinke signed with Arizona has a no-trade clause that includes these 15 teams:
Also included in the story is Greinke's full no-trade list, per a baseball source:
– Orioles
– Red Sox
– Reds
– Rockies
– Tigers
– Yankees
– Athletics
– Padres
– Giants
– Cardinals
– Blue Jays
– Angels
– Dodgers
– Twins
– Phillies— Zach Buchanan (@ZHBuchanan) November 30, 2018
Many of the biggest spenders and teams with the highest payrolls in baseball are on that list. That doesn’t necessarily mean a trade with those teams would be impossible for the Diamondbacks, but Greinke would have the final say over whether or not it is completed.
Greinke is coming off another quality season in which he went 15-11 with a 3.21 ERA over 207.2 innings, so there should be interest in him from contenders. However, we have already heard estimates of how much money Arizona may have to eat to trade him, and the no-trade clause could be another major obstacle standing in the way of a deal.
