There are a lot of questions that come with the start of a new baseball season. With everything so up in the air, especially for the Detroit Tigers, it makes sense that one of those question marks revolves around last year’s closer, Shane Greene.
Talking to reporters Thursday, new manager Ron Gardenhire had this to say about the closer role for the Detroit Tigers this season:
Ron Gardenhire said as far as he is concerned, Shane Greene is the Tigers’ closer. The job is “his to lose”
— Katie Strang (@KatieJStrang) February 15, 2018
Greene closed games for the Tigers last season after the trade deadline when the team traded away Justin Wilson to the Chicago Cubs. Greene’s numbers were impressive in the second half of last season, which has made him a name constantly tossed around in trade discussions this past offseason. However, no deal was made, and Greene enters Spring Training still a Tiger.
In 27.1 innings post-All Star break, Greene posted a 1.98 ERA with 30 strikeouts and a 1.28 WHIP. He saved 9 games out of 10 opportunities during that span. Overall last season, he posted a 2.66 ERA over 71 appearances with 73 strikeouts in 67.1 innings, holding opponents to an average of .204 last season. Greene came over from the Yankees as a starting pitcher in 2015. As a starter, he accumulated a 5.40 ERA in 173.1 innings pitched with opponents hitting .280 off of him. However, as a reliever, Greene’s has a 4.00 ERA with an opponent’ss batting average of .220. He agreed to a one year deal in January to avoid arbitration.
It makes sense that Greene is Gardenhire’s favorite for the closer’s job. Especially when you consider other bullpen staples in years past like Alex Wilson is competing for the fifth starter spot. The team really doesn’t have any closer experience outside of Shane Greene. Only time will tell who else will join Greene in the Tigers’ bullpen this season. However, we do know that Greene will be the teams closer until he proves Ron Gardenhire otherwise.
