Zack Greinke Says Dodgers Clubhouse Is ‘A Great Atmosphere’

With some of the moves made this winter by the new front office, the Los Angeles Dodgers not only tried to improve their team, but also their clubhouse.

While none of the players from the 2014 roster have publicly complained about the clubhouse, there were rumors that there may have been issues. The Dodgers have changed nearly half their roster from last year, and come into the 2015 season as one of the early favorites once again. Speaking at Dodgers Fan Fest, right-hander Zack Greinke hesitated to say whether the changes made them a better team, as he believed they were the best team last season.

While Greinke is still not ready to determine if the team is better, he did comment on the nature of the clubhouse via Paul White of USA Today Sports:

It has been a very good atmosphere in the clubhouse,” Greinke said. “Not to say it wasn’t last year, but it’s definitely been a great atmosphere.”

Greinke is one of the more important players for the Dodgers this season, not just as the team’s number two pitcher, but because he’s able to opt-out at the end of the season. He’s already said that he won’t make that decision until after the season; however, he is open to talking about a contract extension during the year.

The Matt Kemp trade did seem to ease a bit of tension that came from having too many outfielders, although Andre Ethier has been adamant about starting this year, whether in Los Angeles or elsewhere. While Ethier’s demands have yet to cause a problem, it will be interesting to see how that plays out if he finds himself on the bench again.

Until that comes up, the Dodgers should be glad that their clubhouse is getting along thus far.

Dodgers 2015 Spring Training – Paco Rodriguez