It Takes Two To Tango (And Negotiate).

Zack Greinke is kind of like the pretty, chubby girl at a school dance: approachable, but doesn't seem to be getting many offers from suitors, until they basically throw themselves at someone who somewhat reciprocates. The Royals have made it clear this offseason that they'd be more than happy to trade him to a team where run support isn't as taboo as mentioning PEDs in a Giants clubhouse, but they're going to want some sweet compensation in return. As such, many teams have decided to pass on Greinke, seemingly leaving him to wallow in the scoreless valley of Kansas City, where runs go to die.

Suddenly, Zacky boy has made his intentions known: he wants out, and fast. He's even willing to waive his no-trade clause to New York and sign with them if they make an offer. He's been adamant this entire time about not wanting to pitch in the Bronx, not wanting to deal with the pressure from media and fans alike, but he's viewing things very differently now: if you're a free-agent pitcher this winter and your name doesn't rhyme with Shmiff Lee, you're fighting a losing battle against obscurity. So, he now wants to pitch for the Yankees. The question is, do they still want him? There were reports early after the World Series ended that they had some interest in the young hurler, but their hopes were quickly dashed due to the aforementioned no-trade list, the baseball equivalent of a cock block. And, of course, the majority of the Yankees' attention before spring training (and after the conclusion of the most pointless battle of wills between themselves and Mr. Jeter) will be focused on signing the man known as the "Yankee Killer." Is there still room in the rotation (and the budget) for Greinke should this megadeal come to pass? Yes. If Derek stops acting like a child and accepts the meager $15 million per year over 3 seasons New York has offered him, and once the ink is dry on Lee's deal for 100 years/$1 for every person on this planet, Greinke could still comfortably take a small paycut while receiving the $27 mil over the next 2 years owed to him by Kansas City. As I said before, a Yankees rotation of Sabathia/Lee/Greinke...music to my ears.

In other news (there's other news?), the Colorado Rockies decided they would like to continue their streak in recent years of actually being a contender, and signed shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to a deal that will extend into 2020. Tulo, who will only be 36 when his deal expires, came alive down the stretch this past season, hitting .322 with 15 homers and 40 RBI in the month of September after a pretty average season before that. Interestingly enough, 2009 was a better year for him, as he hit 32 homers and had 15 more hits than he did in '10, but he also played in 30 more games that season (he had a few stints on the DL this year). Still, the Rockies understand what a powerful player he is and will become, and wasted little time beating out this deal for him. He's reportedly going to be paid nearly $158 million over the next decade, rivaling the contract CC was presented. If he's not the best shortstop in the NL (only Hanley Ramirez on the Marlins could possibly be comparable), I'd like to see the player who is better than him. There are a few parallels between him and Jeter (what do you expect, you all know I'm a diehard Yanks fan): they both wear number 2, play shortstop, and will hopefully spend their entire careers in one city, building them up and making them powerful teams that reach the playoffs with the same frequency as Manny Ramirez gets traded. However, while it seems that Derek's star is burning out, Troy's star is just now rising. Wow...that was one lame metaphor.

The Dodgers have been doing anything but dodging the spotlight: they signed pitcher Jon Garland to a one year deal, utility infielder Juan Uribe to a 3-year deal, and sent another utility infielder, Ryan Theriot, to the Cardinals for their pitcher Blake Hawksworth. Still stung about not making the playoffs this season thanks to a surprisingly strong Giants and Padres team, the NL Los Angeles team has wasted no time in trying to build themselves stronger. Signing Uribe, a large (literally) proponent of the championship-winning Giants, was a very good move for the Dodgers, as he can play nearly any position in the infield while also providing power hitting that's moderately scant in their league compared to the other one. Jon Garland pitched for the Dodgers in '09 and spent this past season with the Padres, and his 14-12 record and 3.47 ERA was apparently enticing enough to have LA resign him (admittedly, he's not the greatest pitcher to play the game, but his 131-114 career record and 1,096 strikeouts are nothing to be ashamed of). They gained a young pitcher with potential in Hawksworth, though: he's only 27, and an 8-8 record belies the fact that he spent 2009 as a setup man before starting in '10, and his career ERA of 4.07 is sure to go down once he gains control of his pitching. So, the Dodgers haven't done too shabby this offseason, but will it be enough to end the Giants' sudden dominance? We'll just have to see.