Detroit Tigers: Exploring potential Shane Greene to San Francisco trades

The Detroit Tigers should take advantage of San Francisco’s “all-in” approach and try to strike a deal involving Shane Greene.

The Detroit Tigers have made their objective clear this offseason: trade assets to get younger and push for a contention window that is likely at least three years away.

While it may not be everyone’s ideal objective, at least it is clear.

The San Francisco Giants, on the other hand, have not made their objective clear.

After losing out on Giancarlo Stanton, the Giants shipped away starting pitcher Matt Moore to the Rangers. They got two prospects, Sam Wolff and Israel Cruz, in return. The trade was a salary dump designed to help them get under the luxury tax and to give them prospects to build up their farm system.

Moves like that are typically done by teams who are rebuilding and trying to restock their farm system – similar to what the Tigers are doing.

Then, the Giants turned around and struck a deal for veteran third baseman Evan Longoria. While the Giants did include veteran Denard Span in the trade to save some money, they also included three prospects.

Christian Arroyo, ranked the 107th best prospect last offseason, is the prize of the deal. Pitchers Matt Krook and Stephen Woods were well regarded within the Giants system as well.

This type of move certainly points more toward a “win-now” mentality, and damaged an already weak farm system.

So what’s up?

It is not exactly clear what the Giants are doing, but one thing is clear: they could use more help in the bullpen.

Enter Tigers closer Shane Greene.

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: