Zack Greinke’s Odds of Being Traded by Diamondbacks Before Deadline Listed at +250

• Books are dubious about Zack Greinke being traded before the July 31 MLB deadline
• They’re offering -400 odds that the Arizona Diamonbacks pitcher won’t be moved
• You’ll get +250 odds if you wager on Greinke being dealt

Any MLB team would do well to add Zack Grienke to their starting rotation. Greinke would be the ace of most pitching staffs he might join.

Yet sportsbooks seem fairly confident that Greinke won’t be on the move. They’re offering -400 odds that Greinke will still be a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks when the July 31 MLB trade deadline passes.

Will Zack Greinke Be Traded By July 31 MLB Deadline?

*Odds taken 07/26/19

The six-time all-star won the 2009 American League Cy Young Award with the Kansas City Royals.

Lots to Like About Greinke

What team wouldn’t want Greinke as part of their pitching staff? Consistency is Greinke’s trademark. He hasn’t posted a losing record since 2005, his second in the majors, when he was 21 years old.

Did you have @CC_Sabathia and Zack Greinke? #MLBCentral pic.twitter.com/w3pXcA30ZB

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 26, 2019

He’s won no less than 13 games in 11 of the past 12 seasons. In nine of those seasons, he won a minimum of 15 games. Greinke led the National League in winning percentage in 2013 (15-4, .789) and in 2015 (19-3, .864). He led the AL in ERA in 2009 (2.16) and the NL in ERA in 2015 (1.66).

Zack Greinke has been money in Miami. pic.twitter.com/wc0TNItq9g

— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) July 26, 2019

This season, Greinke is 10-4 with a 2.93 ERA and 0.948 WHIP for the 52-51 Diamondbacks. He’s struck out 123 in 135 innings and is on pace to pitch 200-plus innings for the fifth time in six seasons.

Which Teams are Tracking Zack?

Greinke might be the most underappreciated pitching star in the majors today. That’s also evident in the trade rumor market. While there’s plenty of rumblings about Marcus Stroman, Madison Bumgarner, Mike Minor, Trevor Bauer and lately, even Noah Syndergaard, Greinke’s name seldom comes up in trade speculation.

Zack Greinke, 59mph Slow Curve. 🐢

[And pitcher-on-pitcher crime. 🚨🚔] pic.twitter.com/XCBywt4dfr

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 6, 2019

He’s been linked to the pitching-starved Philadelphia Phillies, but that talk was reported to be very preliminary and without much substance.

There are variables in play, though that make a Greinke deal unlikely. For starters, he’s 35 years old. He also has 15 teams on a no-trade list in his contract. On top of that, the six-foot-2, 200-pound righthander is owed two more years on that contract, at a total amount of $70 million.

#Phillies have indeed checked with #DBacks on Zack Greinke, to confirm multiple reports, but I was told within last 24 hours that the sides aren’t having serious talks. @MLBNetwork @MLB

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 24, 2019

The Diamondbacks aren’t the kind of big-market team that would be willing to eat some money in order to make a move, so the club that got Greinke would be out some key prospects and on the hook for $70 million.

It should be noted that the Phillies are the kind of team that could afford that sort of dough without batting an eye.

A Ray of Sunshine

The Diamondbacks starting pitcher most likely to be moving on would be lefty Robbie Ray. He’s 9-6 with a 3.95 ERA and ranks fifth in the majors, averaging 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings.

Belief is that if they sell Dbacks would be willing to pay down — perhaps by 10M/year — the 80M remaining on Greinke through 2021, depending the return of course. Greinke remains a top starter, but wIth 15-team no-trade list and belief he prefers to stay, deal not overly likely.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 19, 2019

The word around baseball is that Greinke’s preference is to stay in Arizona. And with the Diamondbacks just 3.5 games out of a wildcard playoff sport, are they ready to become sellers at the deadline?