Detroit Tigers: Exploring Shane Greene trade scenarios

Detroit Tigers’ General Manager Al Avila has plenty of trade pieces to play around with as the trade deadline nears. Could closer Shane Greene be dealt?

It’s no secret that the Detroit Tigers will be looking to trade veteran assets at this year’s trade deadline. Already the likes of Mike Fiers, Jose Iglesias, Francisco Liriano, Leonys Martin, Michael Fulmer, Matthew Boyd and even Nicholas Castellanos have been discussed in various trade rumors.

Of course, one of Detroit’s most marketable trade assets is closer Shane Greene. Teams are always looking for bullpen help at the trade deadline, and Greene’s numbers should net the Tigers a pretty penny in regards to prospects.

Greene is sporting a 3.86 ERA and a 9.64 K/9. His 2.36 BB/9 is a career-low, and his 20 saves is already a career-high, and is tied for seventh in the AL.

Greene is averaging nearly 95 miles per hour on his fastball, with a wicked 11 inches of movement. His stuff is clearly meant for a late-inning role, and contending teams would love to be able to slot Greene into the mix.

The Yankees, Indians and Nationals have already all made moves to acquire bullpen help. However, there are still plenty of teams out there who are known to be looking for late-inning help. And with Zach Britton, Brad Hand and Kelvin Herrera off the market, Greene is becoming more of a hot commodity.

Here are a few teams who could show interest in Greene, and what a potential return could look like.

The Chicago Cubs

We already discussed a plethora of trades the Cubs and Tigers could make, and Shane Greene is certainly a strong possibility. Cubs General Manager Theo Epstein specifically mentioned shoring up the bullpen as a need for his team, especially now that incumbent closer Brandon Morrow is on the disabled list.

Of course, the Cubs and Tigers have done this before. Last year, the Tigers flipped closer Justin Wilson and catcher Alex Avila to the Cubs in exchange for infielders Jeimer Candelario and Isaac Paredes. Candelario has been one of Detroit’s steadiest performers, and is locked in as Detroit’s third baseman of the future. Paredes is one of the Tigers best hitting prospects, and could be a future second baseman. Perhaps Greene could get sent to the North side to reunite with Wilson?

If the Tigers want to take yet another infielder from the Cubs system, one solid target would be shortstop Zack Short. Short is a 23-year-old who has turned his high-contact approach into more of a fly-ball approach, which has led to a surprising home run output. When comparing his adjustment to other infielders, his profile starts to look like a Matt Carpenter, Daniel Murphy and Justin Turner type. That’s an outstanding sign, as all three are All-Stars. Short also has the defensive profile to stick at shortstop, which could make him a rare power-hitting shortstop with good defensive skills.

Acquiring Short and a lower level prospect would be a solid return for Greene, who still has team control left but is not the future closer in Detroit now that Joe Jimenez has emerged.

The Atlanta Braves

We discussed sending left-hander Blaine Hardy to the Braves last week, but the Braves may push for Detroit’s closer instead. Atlanta’s primary closer, Arodys Vizcaino, is on the disabled list and could be out for a while. For a  team with playoff aspirations, having a depleted bullpen is a no-go. Greene would instantly give them a 7th or 8th inning reliever to bridge the gap to incumbent closer A.J. Minter. Greene could also take over as closer, if needed.

Atlanta has a very deep farm system, and Detroit could easily pull a solid prospect or two by parting with Greene. One name to keep an eye on is Joey Wentz.

Wentz is a six-foot-five left-handed pitcher. He’s just 20 years old, but has a tidy 2.03 ERA in 14 starts at High-A. Ranked as Atlanta’s ninth best prospect by MLB pipeline, Wentz profiles as a mid-rotation starter. Detroit has a ton of starting pitching prospects, but only a few from the left side. Plus, pitching prospects tend to bust at a higher rate than hitters, so the more the merrier. The Braves will be hesitant to part with Wentz, but he’s a long way from the big leagues and if they want to compete this year, they’ll need to mortgage some of their future.

A few other names to watch include Derian Cruz, Braulio Vasquez and Jean Carlos Encarnacion.

There are a handful of other teams who will likely be interested in Greene. The Rockies and Diamondbacks are both known to be looking for relievers. In the American League, the Astros, Mariners, Red Sox and even the A’s could inquire about Greene.

Ultimately, the Detroit Tigers are in a luxurious position. They don’t have to trade Greene, as he is under team control for a few more years. However, the relief market is always hot around the trade deadline, so it makes sense to at least put him out there and see what teams will offer.