What to Expect From the Second Zack Greinke-Royals Partnership

The Kansas City Royals shocked the baseball world earlier this week when they signed starting pitcher Zack Greinke to a one-year contract. This move brings Greinke, now 38 years old, back to the team he began his Major League Baseball career with. He's far from the same player who won the American League's Cy Young award in 2009 but in the twilight of his career, he remains a reliable starter who could've slotted into the back end of just about any rotation in the league as an offseason signing.

For the Royals' purposes, Greinke very well could be their "ace" in 2022. He's seen and done everything possible at the big-league level and still brings solid value as a starter. What should be expected of the veteran in his 19th season? The Inside the Royals crew gathered to share some thoughts.

Tyler Dierking: I believe John Sherman, Dayton Moore and J.J. Picollo all came together to figure out the best way to get fans excited about this year. On the list, it had the 2018 pitchers taking the next steps and Bobby Witt Jr. playing for the Royals on Opening Day, but they felt they needed one more thing. And honestly, making that move Zack Grienke is the perfect move. I’m not worried about the numbers this year with Grienke because I don’t feel like that was the purpose of the move. Seeing Grienke is going to bring crowds because his name hits differently in Kansas City.

Jerry Edwards: How Zack Greinke ever ended up in Houston is amazing to me, as his pitch to contact style doesn't exactly mesh with the glorified little-league field that is Minute Maid Park. Greinke was a victim of a bad situation playing in Houston and had no chance to succeed pitching in that park. His Minute Maid Park ERA was 4.87, and his 3.45 ERA outside of Minute Maid is intriguing. Logic says this should be a good move for the Royals, as it'll get an actually capable veteran that the youngsters can look up to while also providing a competent start every five games.

Lucas Murphy: Zack Greinke is back in a Royals uniform and will be wearing his iconic No. 23. Many fans are ecstatic for Dayton Moore and his staff to sign Greinke on a one-year deal. Getting him back is much more than him taking the mound. He will be able to provide Kansas City's young staff with insight into how to compete and extend their careers. Greinke is no longer throwing flames but is hitting 88-89 mph on his fastball. What makes him still effective is his pinpoint accuracy. This was a tremendous move, and I cannot wait to see him pitch at Kauffman Stadium.

Mark Van Sickle: The Kansas City Royals bringing back Zack Greinke is a win-win. Fans have come around to loving Greinke after some years of contempt for the way he left town, essentially asking for a trade and saying he’d never win a championship if he stayed in KC. After years of playing for contenders, and still not having a World Series ring himself, things have come full circle. The Royals won a World Series in 2015 partly because of the return they got in the original Greinke trade.

For 2022, Greinke can be the veteran in the clubhouse and be a consistent innings-eater. For a team filled with young and potentially inconsistent pitching, the Greinke signing makes a ton of sense and reinvigorates a fanbase who was looking for a fun and meaningful offseason signing.

Christopher Tenpenny: Nothing brings my inner child out more joy than Zack Greinke coming back to Kansas City. My outer adult is pretty psyched, too. Greinke gives the Royals a future Hall of Famer who — at the very least — gives the young pitchers a legend to learn from. Greinke will eat up innings and give the KC fan base a new/old player to be excited about.

I would just caution fans to keep their expectations in check. Greinke has been a slightly above-average pitcher over the last two seasons and is entering his age-38 season. He has value and will have some exciting starts, but don’t be surprised if he strings a few stinkers in a row together. This is a very good move for the Royals and the fan base should be excited, but a few more moves are needed if the team is serious about competing this year.

Jordan Foote: The Zack Greinke acquisition is a move that next to no one saw coming. With that said, it's a feel-good story that presents Kansas City with an opportunity to diversify its starting rotation and it simultaneously puts more pressure on the team's young arms while also allowing them to be managed well throughout the year. Pitching is plentiful for the Royals now and on a good team, Greinke is more of a No. 4 or No. 5 starter at this point in his career. With this team, though, he's a front-of-the-rotation arm who should have success pitching with a top-flight defense behind him at both levels.

Jacob Milham: Look, everyone loves that Greinke is back. It has been more than a decade since he last pitched in a Royals uniform. He was the bright spot for fans during otherwise dark days for the team. With that said, 2022 Greinke is very different than late-2000s Greinke. The 38-year-old is a consistent innings-eater now, but not much more. The defense in Kauffman will protect him in 2022, but he is not the dominant pitcher anymore. ZiPs predicts a 10-7 season from Greinke, with a 4.01 ERA. That is a fair assessment of his performance level right now.