Honeycutt: Greinke can 'pitch just like Maddux into his 40s'
Zack Greinke may have lost out to Chicago Cubs righty Jake Arrieta for this year's National League Cy Young Award, but he'll have plenty more opportunities to capture the honor in years to come, according to pitching coach Rick Honeycutt.
Honeycutt, who reportedly has a new two-year deal to remain with the Los Angeles Dodgers, has watched over Greinke for three seasons, and determined the crafty righty is on the same level as Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux.
"You've seen him each year we've had him, and each year he gets better as the season goes on," Honeycutt told MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. "He's in great shape, he adds and subtracts to his pitches when he wants to. He can continue to pitch just like (Greg) Maddux into his 40s. He has that ability, because he has the pitches already and makes the adjustments with the pitches he has."
Maddux, who captured four NL Cy Young Awards and 18 Gold Gloves over a lengthy 23-year career, was enshrined in Cooperstown for his pinpoint control and comprehensive pitch arsenal. He dominated the majors in the 1990s despite his fastball topping out around 85 mph, relying heavily on the location of his pitches to get outs, much like Greinke.
GREINKE VS. MADDUX
| PLAYER | IP | W-L | ERA | WHIP | K/9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greinke | 2094.2 | 142-93 | 3.35 | 1.18 | 8.1 |
| Maddux | 5008.1 | 355-227 | 3.16 | 1.14 | 6.1 |
Greinke, 32, rejected a one-year, $15.8-million qualifying offer from the Dodgers in order to test the free-agent market this fall. The club is open to bringing him back, but there are also 29 other big-league teams that would love to add the 19-game winner to their respective rotations. Greinke is expected to command at least a six-year deal, and Honeycutt believes it will be far from his last contract before retirement.
"There's no doubt in my mind he can can go as long as he wants to go," Honeycutt added. "For five years, I don't see him having any issues after being with him the last three years. He's very intelligent, he takes care of himself. A lot of guys have talent, but you have to have the smarts to go with it, and he certainly has that. He's got a lot of game."
Greinke, who won the American League Cy Young Award with the Kansas City Royals in 2009, received 10 first-place votes compared to Arrieta's 17 in this year's NL Cy Young voting.