Zack Greinke says 1 issue almost kept him from signing with Royals

Major League Baseball made the designated hitter universal as part of its new collective bargaining agreement, and the change has had a significant impact on the free agent market. Veteran pitcher Zack Greinke is a prime example of that.

Greinke signed a one-year, $13 million deal with the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday. He admitted to reporters this week that he would have been tempted to sign with a National League team if pitchers still got to hit.

“This was a team I singled out that I wanted to play for. It was my No. 1 choice,” Greinke said, via MLB.com’s Anne Rogers. “The only thing that would have made it a little tough is if pitchers were still allowed to hit. That would have opened up a lot of teams I would want to play for in the NL.”

Greinke famously loves to hit, which is not too common for MLB pitchers.

Greinke didn’t really get the chance to bat early in his career, which he spent in Kansas City. But he spent most of the second half of his career in the NL and relished the chance to bat. He is a career .225 hitter with 9 career home runs and views getting the chance to hit as a big enticement. With DHs now in the NL, signing with a National League team no longer holds that appeal for Greinke.

This will be Greinke’s second stint with the Royals. The 38-year-old spent the first seven years of his MLB career with Kansas City from 2004-2010. He won a Cy Young Award with the team in 2009. Royals fans seem thrilled to have him back.

Photo: Oct 11, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Zack Greinke (21) speaks to the media before the Houston Astros and New York Yankees work out at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports