Atlanta Braves Shane Greene trade rumor just chatter

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Rumors suggest the Atlanta Braves are interested in Detroit closer Shane Greene seen here pitching the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox on Opening Day at Guaranteed Rate Field on April 5, 2018. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Shane Greene

The Tigers acquired Greene from the Yankees in a three-team deal that sent Didi Gregorius to the Yankees and Robbie Ray to Arizona. Detroit used him as a starter in 2015, but he struggled mightily, finishing the year with a 6.88 ERA, 1.554 WHIP, and 5.14 FIP.

He made spot starts in 2016 but made 47 relief appearances throwing 47 innings with an ugly-looking 5.55 ERA. His peripherals said he performed much better than his ERA indicated. He finished the season with a 2.96 FIP, 9.2 k and 2.5 walks per nine IP.

In 2017 he worked exclusively from the bullpen appearing 71 times, tossing 67 2/3 innings, striking out 73, walking 34 and posting a 2.66 ERA,1.241 WHIP, and 3.84 FIP. Last season the Tigers elevated him to closer with good but not great numbers. In 66 games he struck out 65, walked 19, gave up 12 homers and saw his era jump to 5.12, with a 4.61 WHIP.

Greene last allowed 12 homers in 2015 when he pitched as a starter; saying he was out of whack states the obvious. Over the winter he worked on that and appears back to his 2017 kind of groove, except better.

2019 so far

As of this morning – May 22-, April’s reliever of the month flashes a 1.35 ERA, 2.89 FIP, 0.750 WHIP, with 20 strikeouts, five walks, and an AL-leading 15 saves, in 20 innings of work on a terrible team. His standard peripherals are in good shape too

10.8 K/9
2.25 BB/9
2.71 SIERA
55.3% GB rate
98.5% strand rate
12% WHIFF rate
30.5% Chase rate
Opposing batters hitting .141/.208/.239/.447

Those stats put him among the league leaders in most categories.

My internal stats show a solid season as well.

55% No Hit IP: 11NHIP in 20 IP
16 shutdown innings – 1 meltdown inning
.064 walks/BF: 5 walks 77 BF
.31 K/BF – 24 K 77 BF

I’ve seen comments suggest Greene’s numbers are an aberration; that they don’t reflect who he is. I view 2018 as the outlier. Heat maps indicate that he tried pitching more inside to right-handed hitters in 2018 and got tagged as a result. This season his pitching more as he did in previous years, letting his slider work down and away.

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