Zack Greinke Doesn't Want to Retire Yet, But Reunion With Royals Seems Unlikely

Pitchers and catchers are set to report to Spring Training next week, and plenty of veteran free agents remain available on the open market.

One of those free agents is Zack Greinke, a six-time All-Star and former Cy Young winner who turned 40 years old in October.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Monday that Greinke still wants to return for his 21st MLB season. That lines up with a previous report from MLB Network's Jon Morosi in December, which stated that Greinke's representatives had let teams know he intended to pitch in 2024.

Greinke is fresh off one of the least productive years of his career. In 27 starts and three relief appearances with the Kansas City Royals, Greinke went 2-15 with a 5.06 ERA, 1.272 WHIP, 6.1 strikeouts per nine innings and a 1.0 WAR.

The veteran remains enigmatic – as has been the case for his entire career – but Rosenthal speculated that Greinke could want to return so he could become the 20th pitcher to join the 3,000 strikeout club. Greinke currently has 2,979 punchouts under his belt, so it wouldn't take much for him to reach the hallowed milestone.

Greinke has already built a Hall of Fame-worthy resume regardless of whether or not he reaches 3,000 strikeouts. In 586 MLB appearances, Greinke is 225-156 with a 3.49 ERA, 1.171 WHIP and a 77.5 WAR.

The No. 6 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft made his big league debut with the Royals in 2004, when he finished fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting.

Greinke made his first All-Star Game in 2009, and he won the AL Cy Young award a few months later. The Royals ultimately shipped Greinke to the Milwaukee Brewers ahead of the 2011 season, while the Brewers flipped him to the Los Angeles Angels at the 2012 trade deadline.

Over the next nine years, Greinke racked up All-Star appearances, Gold Gloves and Cy Young votes with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks and Houston Astros. Greinke re-signed with the Royals in 2022, bringing him back to his roots two full decades after he initially joined the franchise.

Kansas City may not be a viable destination for Greinke in 2024, though, since the club has already shelled out $77 million to bring in free agent pitchers Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha. Kyle Wright, who the Royals got in a trade with the Atlanta Braves in the fall, could also take up a spot the rotation once he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery.

Rosenthal reported that those additions "almost certainly will preclude" Greinke from returning to Kansas City in 2024, meaning he will have to look for another destination where he can ride off into the sunset.