Detroit Tigers: Exploring potential Shane Greene to San Francisco trades

Why Greene makes sense for the Giants

A great post by our colleagues over at Around the Foghorn detailed the Giants bullpen woes from last season.

The Giants bullpen had a 4.34 ERA last year, one of the worst in baseball. They saw a decrease in their strikeout rate and an increase in their walk rate from the year previously.

They could certainly use some help in the bullpen, and it just so happens the Tigers have a player that fits all of their needs.

Shane Greene has been profiled as a trade candidate all offseason.

Greene will make roughly $1.7MM his first time through arbitration. He is inexpensive and controllable through 2020.

Greene posted a 2.66 ERA last season, with a 9.71 K/9. In a bullpen that featured Sam Dyson and Mark Melancon in the late innings, Greene could come in and step into the closing role.

For a team that appears to be contending, adding another hard-throwing reliever couldn’t hurt.

And for a team that also appears to be trimming the budget, getting Greene at under $2MM isn’t bad either.

The Giants have shown a willingness to move prospects in order to make their roster better. While they do not have a very good farm system, there is still enough talent in there that the Tigers could find a few pieces that they like.

There are a couple different directions the Tigers could go when pursuing a trade with the Giants.

Kelby Tomlinson

One big league player the Tigers could target from San Francisco would be middle infielder Kelby Tomlinson.

Tomlinson is 27, which probably puts him outside of Detroit’s competition window. However, he is currently pre-arbitration and is under team control through 2021.

His age is a factor, but he has posted solid numbers in the last three years in San Francisco and has enough versatility that he could slide right into an Andrew Romine-like role in Detroit.

Tomlinson saw time at second base, shortstop, third base and left field last year.

In 194 at-bats, he hit .258 with a 76 wRC+. However, he posted a very strong 10.4% walk-rate and also stole nine bases.

Additionally, he gets positive marks defensively everywhere that he plays.

Adding a player like Tomlinson would give the Tigers someone who could compete with Dixon Machado for the starting role at second base. If Machado wins the job, Tomlinson would fill in as a super-sub.

Adding to the trade

Greene for Tomlinson would not be enough straight up to entice the Tigers to make a trade.

However, if the Tigers wanted to acquire someone who has big league experience and can step right into a prominent role on the team, Tomlinson would fit that bill.

They would probably target one or two prospects along with Tomlinson to complete the trade.

A few options include:

Kelvin Beltre – The 21-year-old middle infielder hit .253 with 15 stolen bases and six home runs in A-ball last year. He played second base exclusively last year, but has experience at shortstop and third base.

Per MLB Pipeline:

Beltre originally caught San Francisco’s eye with his quick right-handed bat, and his outstanding bat speed gives him plus raw power. He could hit 15 homers per season if he adds strength and tones down his aggressive approach.

Gio Brusa – Brusa was a sixth round pick in the 2016 draft. He hit 17 home runs in High-A ball last year, although he lacks a defensive profile and will likely be a designated hitter in the majors.

D.J. Snelten – An 80 grade name, Snelten found his calling as a reliever last season in the minors. He posted a 2.42 ERA at Triple-A last year. The 25-year-old left-hander could compete for a bullpen spot as soon as 2018.

Garrett Williams – Williams has been a starter in the minors up to this point, but many scouts think he is destined for the bullpen. The left-hander has a hard fastball and a 12-6 curveball, but has struggled with his command in the past. Think a slightly more in control, lower velocity version of Jairo Labourt.

If the Tigers choose to focus on obtaining high profile prospects, they can do that too. Here are some options that may suit them:

Shane Greene should bring in one of San Francisco’s top 10 prospects, as well as a few other pieces.

San Francisco outfielder Bryan Reynolds could headline a very strong return for the Tigers.

Reynolds is a 24-year-old switch-hitting outfielder who destroyed High-A ball last season.

He slashed .312/.364/.462 with 10 home runs, five stolen bases and a 122 wRC+ in 491 at-bats.

The Giants like the adjustments he has made at the plate in his brief minor league career.

From MLB Pipeline:

A switch-hitter, Reynolds has a smooth stroke with good bat speed from both sides. Some scouts wonder if he’ll make consistent hard contact against quality pitching, but San Francisco was impressed with his ability to make adjustments during his debut. He has begun to drive the ball more consistently and should have at least average power, and he also showed a knack for drawing walks in college.

While his power is suspect, he has good speed and an ability to get on-base.

Defensively, he profiles as an average defensive center fielder. It seems likely that he will move to the corners when he makes the major leagues, but it is possible he will stick in center field.

If the Tigers acquire a speedy, switch-hitting center fielder and other prospects for Shane Greene, you can bet Al Avila will enjoy his Holiday season.

Austin Slater

Another potential nice find for the Tigers would be outfielder Austin Slater.

Slater, 25, made his major league debut last season. In 117 at-bats he hit .282 with three home runs and an even 100 wRC+.

He was better at Triple-A, hitting .321 with a 121 wRC+ in 184 at-bats.

A pair of groin injuries and a sports hernia sidelined Slater for a good chunk of the season last year.

However, he showed enough potential that the Tigers should take a chance on him.

San Francisco’s outfield logjam

The Giants have a glut of corner outfielders in front of both Reynolds and Slater on the depth chart.

Hunter Pence is penciled in as the starting right fielder. Even coming off a bad season, it seems likely that the Giants will keep him in their starting lineup if they do not trade him.

Jarrett Parker is projected to start in left field, with Mac Williamson as a backup. Gorkys Hernandez is the starting center fielder on the current depth chart, but the Giants are exploring other center field options which could push Hernandez into a bench role.

Additionally, number one prospect Chris Shaw is expected to debut sometime in 2018.

The Tigers should capitalize on a position of depth in San Francisco and acquire a potential impact bat in the outfield.

Next: Tigers should trade Shane Greene for a 2B

Shane Greene had what could be a career year last season. The Tigers would be smart to capitalize on his value now and trade him for players that could make the team better in the future.