Detroit Tigers should trade Shane Greene for second baseman

The Detroit Tigers may not be done making moves. Relief pitcher Shane Greene is known to be on the market, and could bring in a solid second base option for the Tigers.

The Detroit Tigers traded second baseman Ian Kinsler to the Angels on Wednesday, bringing back two prospects.

With Andrew Romine headed west to Seattle, the Tigers have little in the way of second base depth on the roster.

Dixon Machado is the front-runner to start at second base in the 2018 season.

The 25-year-old Machado hit .259 with a 64 wRC+ in 166 at-bats last season. He profiles more as a utility infielder thanks to his defensive versatility and strong fielding.

He is not expected to hit well enough at the big league level to be a major league regular.

Kody Eaves hit well at Double-A last season, but only has 27 at-bats at the Triple-A level under his belt.

The 24-year-old is likely going to start at Triple-A next year, but needs to prove he can hit at that level before he is ready for the big leagues.

That leaves the Tigers pretty thin at the keystone. Fortunately, the Tigers still have a solid trade chip remaining. A trade chip they can leverage into a young, big league ready second baseman.

That trade chip is closer Shane Greene.

Greene, 29, had the best season of his career last year in Detroit. He threw 67.2 innings, earned nine saves and had a 2.66 ERA with a stellar 9.71 K/9 ratio.

However, some underlying numbers point to some luck in Greene’s 2017 numbers.

Greene walked 4.52 batters per nine innings, the highest mark of his career. He was fortunate that runners were left stranded 84.2% of the time, much higher than the league average (around 70%).

While his 2.66 ERA was nice, his 3.84 FIP and 4.24 xFIP were more revealing about his 2017 performance.

Steamer is an analytical tool used by Fangraphs that predicts a players upcoming season numbers based on advanced stats.

It projects Greene to post a 3.95 ERA next year.

The Tigers should trade Greene now while he still has value. He is under team control for three more seasons, which gives him even more trade value.

Finding a team that is willing to move a legitimate major league second baseman is not easy, but here are a few options the Tigers could explore.

Chad Pinder

Chad Pinder played all around the diamond last season in Oakland. He logged time at second base, shortstop and all three outfield positions.

In 282 at-bats, Pinder slugged 15 home runs with a .238 batting average and a 97 wRC+.

His 29.8% strikeout rate and low 5.8% walk rate need work, and defensively he is a tick below average.

However, the opportunity to add a power-hitting second baseman like Pinder is tantalizing.

Furthermore, he is just 25 years old and the Tigers would control him through 2022.

The A’s don’t like trading their young, controllable assets until they are closer to free agency, but Pinder is blocked from being a starter in Oakland.

Marcus Semien is locked in as the team’s shortstop at least through 2018. Uber prospect Franklin Barreto is expected to be the full-time second baseman in 2019 after Jed Lowrie departs for free agency.

Additionally, the A’s have 22-year-old prospects Jorge Mateo, Kevin Merrell and Richie Martins all in their system. Each of them can play middle infield and could make their MLB debut as soon as 2018.

With such an influx of young middle infield talent knocking on the door, the A’s can afford to let Pinder go to help shore up their struggling bullpen.

The A’s have expressed interest in improving their bullpen, although the recent addition of right-hander Yusmeiro Petit may make Greene less desirable to them.

If the Tigers acquire Pinder, he would compete with Dixon Machado for the starting second base role. Whomever loses would likely serve in a utility role. Either are capable of serving in that capacity, making Pinder an appealing trade option should the Tigers pursue it.

Pinder is not the only utility infielder the Tigers could pursue in return for Shane Greene.

Jurickson Profar

You may have guessed by the teaser, but the Tigers could certainly explore a deal with the Rangers that would bring them infielder Jurickson Profar.

It’s hard to believe Profar is only 24. Baseball America’s number one prospect after the 2012 season, Profar was considered a can’t miss superstar shortstop.

Unfortunately, injuries and ineffectiveness have derailed his career.

Profar hit just .172 in 58 at-bats with the Rangers last season. He was considerably better at Triple-A, where he hit .287 with a .383 on-base percentage and a 116 wRC+.

He also had a 11.2% walk-rate compared to a minuscule 8.6% strikeout rate at Triple-A.

Profar was not recalled by the Rangers late in the season and strongly voiced his displeasure. He felt his performance in Triple-A merited a call up. It seems likely that the Rangers will deal their disgruntled middle infielder, and the Tigers should use this opportunity to pounce.

Profar played everywhere around the infield last season in Texas, and also spent considerable time in left field. He graded out as a positive defender at second base in 2016 but only saw two innings there in 2017.

Still, the Tigers should take a chance on Profar to be their every day second baseman.

The Rangers are connected to nearly every relief pitcher on the market.

Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News indicates that they are willing to make trades to acquire pitching:

Greene would slot in as the most reliable late-inning option in the Rangers bullpen.

The Rangers already have Rougned Odor and Elvis Andrus on board, along with utility man Drew Robinson and recently acquired Willie Calhoun.

They can afford to part with Profar to acquire a much-needed late inning reliever.

Finally, the Tigers could look to ship Greene up to Boston for a second baseman.