The Royals have let it be known that Zack Greinke is available this winter and the first club that has come knocking on their door (that we know of) is the Blue Jays.
According to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun, the Jays have inquired about the availability of Greinke, who struggled last year after winning the 2009 AL Cy Young Award.
With Cliff Lee the top free agent on the market, Greinke would appeal to also-rans in the Lee sweepstakes such as the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels.
The Royals are looking for two “can’t-miss prospects” as a starting point in talks on the 2009 American League Cy Young award winner.
Greinke’s contract includes a limited no-trade clause through the 2011 season and he has a “no-trade list” that includes big market teams like the Yankees and Red Sox. It’s not known if Toronto is on that list.
The Jays have to do something if they want to compete with the Yankees, Rays and Red Sox in the ultra-competitive AL East. Greinke is coming off a down year but obviously he has the talent. With more help around him, one would think that he would blossom into a consistent performer so we’ll have to see if Toronto can put something together.