Riley Greene and the Detroit Tigers have avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year, $5 million contract for the 2026 season, according to a report from Evan Petzold.
Greene, who is entering his first year of arbitration eligibility, continues to solidify himself as a cornerstone of the Tigers’ lineup. The 25-year-old outfielder is coming off a strong 2025 campaign in which he posted 36 home runs, 111 RBIs, and a 120 OPS+, earning 2.2 WAR while playing every-day duty in the outfield.
A former first-round pick (5th overall) in the 2019 MLB Draft, Greene has already built an impressive résumé in Detroit. Through parts of four MLB seasons, he owns a career OPS+ of 118, along with 76 home runs and 264 RBIs, and has established himself as one of the league’s better young left-handed bats.
The deal gives Detroit cost certainty for 2026 while keeping Greene under team control through 2028, with free agency not arriving until 2029. It’s a sensible move for both sides. Greene gets paid without the uncertainty of arbitration, and the Tigers keep a key piece of their long-term core locked in.
