As Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman seeks clarity in what he described as the most peculiar market he’s seen before a July 31 trade deadline, his club continues to be linked to relief pitchers.
Over the past month the Dodgers have held reported interest in the San Francisco Giants’ Will Smith and Tony Watson, Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star closer Felipe Vazquez, Cleveland Indians closer Brad Hand and Detroit Tigers All-Star Shane Greene, among others.
Their recent surge has some questioning if the Giants will end up selling at the trade deadline after all, and Pirates general manager Neal Huntington has remained steadfast he does not intend on moving Vazquez.
Meanwhile, the Tigers are well out of postseason content and appear willing to trade any combination of Greene, Nick Castellanos and Matthew Boyd.
The Dodgers reportedly scouted Greene on Tuesday night amid Detroit engaging in trade talks with interested clubs for the right-hander, per Jon Morosi of MLB.com
The Tigers probably will trade closer Shane Greene, too. He pitched a scoreless inning Tuesday before scouts from the Dodgers and Nationals, two teams known to have interest in him. One source said Tuesday that the Tigers recently have become more active in discussions about moving Greene.
The Dodgers’ interest in Greene may not be at the level of that for an elite southpaw, but he is believed to be viewed highly among available right-handers:
Greene was a setup reliever as recently as two years ago, and it’s likely he would be comfortable with a return to that role as a Dodger, given Kenley Jansen’s presence there. The Dodgers prefer to acquire a left-hander (Felipe Vazquez or Will Smith) to pair with Jansen in the late innings, but Greene is high on their list among right-handers.
Two of Greene’s last three appearances did come in a save situation, and both times the Dodgers had a scout in attendance. Last Friday, he entered in the ninth inning despite the Tigers facing a 12-1 deficit.
Although Tuesday also was not a save situation, Greene was thrust into a leverage situation as he pitched the ninth of a tie game against the Philadelphia Phillies. Sandwiched between the two appearances was a blown save to the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.
Even with that, Greene is putting together a bounce-back season after a disappointing 2018 campaign. He’s 0-2 with 22 saves in 25 opportunities, a 1.22 ERA and 0.86 WHIP.
The 30-year-old is eligible for salary arbitration next year and is on track to become a free agent after the 2020 season.
