The Kansas City Royals signed six-time All-Star pitcher Zack Greinke to a $13 million contract for this season Wednesday, reuniting the right-hander with the club that drafted him in the first round two decades ago.
Greinke also can make up to $2 million in performance bonuses, a person familiar with the terms told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not disclosed.
The 38-year-old Greinke was the sixth overall pick of the Royals in the 2002 amateur draft, and he spent his first six seasons with the club, winning the Cy Young Award during his standout 2009 season. He was traded to the Brewers the following year for a package of players that formed the basis of the Royals’ back-to-back AL champion teams.
He went 11-6 with a 4.16 ERA and one complete game in 29 starts for Houston last season.
The Royals created space on the 40-man roster for him Wednesday by placing reliever Tyler Zuber on the 60-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement.
The move to sign Greinke came hours after the Royals traded left-hander Mike Minor to the Reds for reliever Amir Garrett on Wednesday. The Reds also would get $500,000 from the Royals if Minor’s mutual option for 2023 is declined.
Minor is due $10 million in the second year of an $18 million, two-year contract. The deal originally included a $13 million club option for 2023 with a $1 million buyout but a provision converts it to a mutual option because of the trade.
