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Zack Greinke Gives Up $71M Guaranteed, Becomes A Free Agent

NEW YORK (AP) -- Pitcher Zack Greinke has opted out of the final three years of his contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, giving up a guaranteed $71 million to become a free agent again.

Greinke was among 12 additional players who became free agents, the Major League Baseball Players Association said Wednesday, raising the total to 151.

The 32-year-old right-hander was 19-3 with a major league-best 1.66 ERA this season, when he struck out 200 in 222 2-3 innings.

A three-time All-Star, Greinke left the Los Angeles Angels at the end of the 2012 season and signed a $147 million, six-year contract with the Dodgers, where he joined with Clayton Kershaw to form one of the top rotations in baseball. While Los Angeles won three straight NL West titles, it has not reached the World Series since winning the 1988 championship.

He had the right to terminate the contract within three days of the end of the 2015 World Series. The deal with Los Angeles called for him to earn $24 million next year, $23 million in 2017 and $24 million in 2018.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.

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