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MILWAUKEE — The exact dollar figure and number of years haven't yet been decided, but this much is clear about pitcher Zack Greinke's future contract status: The man is going to be compensated handsomely soon enough.
Whether his demands exceed the Milwaukee Brewers' means is unknown, although general manager Doug Melvin remains optimistic about the team retaining one of his cornerstone starters.
"I talked to his agent yesterday," Melvin said before Milwaukee's Opening Day loss against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday. "We'll just talk again on Monday. There's no timeline on it. I know from a player's standpoint, sometimes players may say they want to focus on the season. That's fine. I respect that. It doesn't mean that the GM and the agent won't talk behind the scenes."
Can the Brewers afford a new deal for Greinke? That's the million-dollar question. Make that the $100 million question.
Though Greinke hasn't discussed a contract extension with the media, he recently hired Casey Close as his agent, which would seem to indicate a willingness to negotiate with the Brewers sooner rather than later. Greinke's status as an elite right-handed pitcher almost certainly figures to command in excess of $100 million. The 2009 Cy Young Award winner is currently in the final season of a four-year, $38 million contract.
Earlier this week, the San Francisco Giants signed Matt Cain to a six-year, $127.5 million contract, a deal that makes him the highest paid right-handed pitcher in major league history. That signing could complicate matters with Greinke since it likely will be used as a barometer for the Brewers.
The previous record for a right-handed pitcher came after the 1998 season, when Kevin Brown inked a seven-year, $105 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Last season, Los Angeles Angels right-hander Jered Weaver signed a five-year, $85 million contract, and Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said a deal for Greinke could fall somewhere between those of Weaver and Cain.
"We had a few conversations with Zack, which I think they've been reported," Attanasio said. "It's never like he came in and said to us, 'It's got to be done on Opening Day or not.' On the other hand, we don't want to create a lot of distractions. So we're just going to take his and his agent's lead on that and go from there."
Milwaukee enters the 2012 season with a payroll of just over $100 million, the largest in franchise history, and would need to figure out a way not to be crippled by a long-term, six-figure deal with Greinke.
The Brewers signed third baseman Aramis Ramirez to a three-year, $36 million contract in the offseason to replace the production of departed first baseman Prince Fielder. They also have signed outfielder Ryan Braun, the reigning National League MVP, to a five-year, $105 million contract extension that begins in 2016.
"I know there's been some big signings here lately," Melvin said. "One thing you have to be careful with, and I think we manage very well, is you've got to look at where the money is in the first year of contracts and where they are three or four years from now.
"There's been some big seven-, eight-, nine-year contracts. What you have to do is you've got to see does the excitement in the early years of the contract outweigh the agony at the end of the contract? You have to weigh that when you're talking about seven-, eight-, nine-year contracts."
In his first season with the Brewers in 2011, Greinke finished 16-6 with a 3.83 ERA despite missing all of April with a cracked rib. He struck out 201 batters in 171 2/3 innings. He is 76-73 in eight big league seasons with a 3.82 career ERA, and he won his Cy Young Award with Kansas City the season after he signed his soon-to-be-expired $38 million contract.
A fully healthy Greinke finished this spring training with a 2.82 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings. He is scheduled to make his 2012 regular-season debut at 3:05 p.m. CT Saturday at Miller Park, when he will oppose Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright.
"I think he's on a mission," Braun said. "I think he's determined to have a dominant season, to truly have a great season. His stuff was there from his very first spring training game. Just the way he was competing, the way he was going about his business, you could tell that he was excited, and we're certainly excited to have him healthy for the start of the season. A big advantage for us over the way we started the season last year without him."
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