It looks like Zack Greinke won't be the Cliff Lee backup plan, after all.
According to ESPN, the Royals and Brewers agreed to a trade early on Sunday that will send the Royals' ace to Miller Park for outfielder Lorenzo Cain, shortstop Alcides Escobar and pitchers Jake Odorizzi and Jeremy Jeffress.
The Brewers are also expected to receive another major-league player in the deal — potentially Yuniesky Betancourt.
Greinke went just 10-14 with a 4.15 ERA in 2010 after winning the Cy Young in 2009. He had been rumored to be on the move for much of the 2010 offseason, but was linked most heavily with New York and Texas, despite discussion that his struggles with social anxiety would deter him from giving the green light to a trade to the Bronx.
That point is now moot, as Milwaukee will now have one of the league's best pitchers — something apt to improve a pitching staff which surrendered 804 runs last year, good for fourth-most in the MLB.
