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Zack Greinke contract shakes free agency (and means the Dodgers have too many pitchers)

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Zack Greinke to the largest contract ever for a right-handed starting pitcher—which means they now have too many starters.

Jeff Gross

As the saying goes: You can't have too much starting pitching, unless you are the Los Angeles Dodgers, who now almost certainly have too much starting pitching. After signing Zack Greinke to an enormous deal, the Dodgers added Korean starter Ryu Hyun-jin for six years, which means they now have the following starters under contract for 2013:

Greinke ($147 million through 2018); Ryu ($36+25 million through 2018); Josh Beckett ($68 million through 2014); Chad Billingsley ($35 million through 2014); Clayton Kershaw ($19 million through 2013); Ted Lilly ($33 million through 2013); Aaron Harang ($12 million through 2013); and Chris Capuano ($10 million through 2013.)

There are some team, player, and mutual options in there, but you understand the gist: They have eight starting pitchers making at least $5 million a year in 2013, and that's before they extend Kershaw. Capuano, Harang, and Lilly are likely the odd men out, although some have suggested Chad Billingsley would make a more compelling trade target. But the list says more about the Dodgers' absurd offseason than almost anything else on their overstuffed payroll.