With Greinke Signing Dodgers Will Outspend Yankees

From Joel Sherman:

If it needed any further punctuation, the Dodgers established that they — not the Yankees — are the financial heavyweights of baseball yesterday by reaching agreement with Zack Greinke on a six-year, $147 million contract.

Unless the Yankees come out of their economic cocoon, they will not have the largest payroll in the game for the first time since 1998. With Greinke’s signing, the Dodgers are up to about a $220 million outlay — and they do not appear finished yet.

The Dodgers have a 3 p.m. deadline today to finalize a deal with Hyn-Jim Ryu after winning a posting bid for the star Korean lefty 30 days ago. And there have been indications they also may go after a free-agent starter such as Anibal Sanchez.

This will be the first time since 1998 that the Yankees won't have the highest payroll in the sport. Of course, that would change if the Yankees decide to make a splash or two.