Royals to Make Greinke Available, O's said to be in the mix?

Per ESPN Insider:

Greinke would definately give this team a real ace and would love to see him in Baltimore. The only two concerns I have are:

- How much would we have to give up to land him, and what other holes would it give us?

- Greinke is a super talented pitcher but is a head case who has already missed time with social anxiety and depression. While Baltimore isn't the biggest market in the league, it's a hell of a lot bigger then Kansas City, especially with all the games against New York and Boston. I don't know if tough crowds on the East Coast and media will send him back to the funny farm.

There was a great article in SI couple weeks ago about how pro teams are paying more attention to disorders like anxiety and depression. Joey Votto is a good example of a guy who has had to deal with that.

There is a big difference between being a "head case" a la Daniel Cabrera, and having a defined psychiatric disorder. Andrew or Dan can correct me if I'm wrong, but if a team were to publicly cite Greinke's anxiety disorder as a reason not to sign him, they'd probably be looking at a lawsuit under the Americans with Disabilties Act.

Anxiety disorders can be very well-controlled with medication once diagnosed, BTW.

Are you asking me for an opinion based on my anxiety order/mental disability/defined psychaitric order or on my looks and charm? Or some other quality? And how did y'all know I have been diagnosed? Is it that obvious?

From personal experience, I can tell you that I have never even threatened to fire me based on my idiocyncracies/viccissitudes/wildly creative impulses. So I cannot tell you how to deal with ADA bias. I just go with the flow with me.

Hey, got to go, those footsteps are coming again.

No, wait, false alarm. That happens a lot.

What is the frequency Kenneth?

I would LOVE to see Greinke in an Orioles uniform but it would take one of probably Tillman, Matusz, or Arrieta plus two or more others to land him. Might be worth it depending on who else they want.

I looked up his contract situation, he's signed through 2012 and makes 13.5 million each of the next two seasons. If he stays consistent, it's going to take at least the kind of contract Angelos wouldn't give Mike Mussina to sign him. He's 27 in October so he should still have a lot of years left but I don't want to lose a bunch of prospects for two years of Greinke.

I don't know much about the law on disability and discrimination, but I would imagine that if the club felt that Greinke's anxiety disorder would affect his performance, that would be as valid a reason as any other not to acquire him. What we're really talking about is health issues here, whether it be mental or physical. I don't see why that would be any different from declining to offer a contract to a pitcher with a history of arm troubles.

That said, I agree with Sluggo on the point that there is a HUGE difference between being a headcase and having anxiety or depression issues. I think throwing the "headcase" label at a player with a diagnosable and treatable social disorder is unfair.