Zack Greinke Doesn’t Need An Agent…Question Mark?

Well, I wish I could tell you that today was an uneventful first day of workouts.  Actually, I could tell you that, until Zack Greinke told several reporters that:

"I’m not going to have an agent for awhile.  There’s no reason to have one at the moment."

To quote Chris Farley, “Well Ladi-frickin-da”.  How nice for you to not have anything to worry about Zack.  It must be nice not having to pay anyone while your family and future just hang in the balance.  Don’t you have anxiety issues?  If I don’t know what my wife is making for dinner tomorrow, I have to take Pepcid AC to control my heart-burn.  What is this guys deal?

Look, I am really trying to be positive, but this comment really tweaks my melon.  Not so much because it is sort of an inadvertant jab at the team, but because he does not seem to be worried about this situation…at all.

Zack Greinke has a history of anxiety issues, but when it comes to the future of his career, the guy seems to be as care-free as toddler.  What am I missing?  The Brewers have said that they want him back.  He has given the illusion that he likes it in Milwaukee, so why doesn’t he need an agent?  In fact, he has said COUNTLESS times over the past few weeks that he is open to an extension with the Brewers, so won’t he need an agent for that to happen?

Perhaps Zack is secretly taking sports business classes on-line at Phoenix University.  Or maybe he plans on hiring my brother-in-law Nick, who has a gift for numbers.  The point is, in this day and age, what professional athlete does not have sports representation?  Especially during a contract year?

You may have noticed that these segments have been really short and that is because I am trying to mask my true anger about these comments.  I really like Zack and I want him to stay in Milwaukee, but now he has kind of pissed me off.  Those comments basically spell out the end of the Greinke era in Milwaukee.  Once he hits the open market, there will be about 20 other teams willing to spend more than the Brewers.  So, let’s just call this what it is, one-and-done.  Right?

Maybe not.  I found this quote from one of Greinke’s former agents:

"He is as intellectually curious, bright and understanding of the baseball metrics as any player I’ve ever come across. But the Zack Greinke that I know is equally smart and savvy enough that when the time is right, he’ll have some counsel — some specialist — to protect and maximize his family’s outcome."

This puts my mind a little bit more at rest.  I do remember when Curt Schilling negotiated his own extension with the Red Sox back in 2003, that worked out pretty well for everyone.  Plus, Doug Melvin seems to have a pretty good relationship with Greinke, so maybe there is hope after all.

On a seperate and unrelated note, Shaun Marcum said that he would like to stay in Milwaukee on Saturday.  However, he said that during arbitration, the Brewers gave the illusion that they were only interested in a one-year contract.  The interview is up here at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel website.  Needless to say, this whole trying to be upbeat and positive is really hard when you read stuff like this.  Since I promised…I will just let you read the article and form your own opinion.  My opinion is of a negative persuasion. 

Go Brewers!!