Although there are more than 10 teams still within striking distance of a postseason berth either via their division or Wild Card Game, that doesn’t apply to the Detroit Tigers or Toronto Blue Jays.
As such, they both are the subject of plenty of speculation as the July 31 trade deadline draws closer. The Blue Jays are believed to be shopping Marcus Stroman, while the Tigers have received interest for Shane Greene.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are among the clubs that have been connected to the All-Star closer, with the latest report Friday morning suggesting he remains a target of theirs.
With the Blue Jays and Tigers beginning a weekend series, the opener drew plenty of scouts to Comerica Park, according to Jon Morosi of MLB.com:
Seven teams — the Braves, Cubs, Dodgers, Padres, Rays, Reds and Red Sox — had one scout in attendance Friday at Comerica Park.
Teams sending a scout to watch a game certainly is nothing new or out of the ordinary, but their presence comes with heightened attention whenever it also is near the trade deadline.
That presumably was a factor in Greene pitching Friday night despite entering with the Tigers facing a 12-1 deficit in the ninth inning. Greene struck out two batters in a perfect frame.
On the season he’s 0-2 with 22 saves in 24 opportunities, a 1.03 ERA and 0.83 WHIP. Greene is on track to post career-highs in ground ball rate and strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Although the 30-year-old remains under team control through the 2020 season via salary arbitration, he presumably would not require the same haul as a trade for Brad Hand or Will Smith may command.
The converted starter had a strong 2017 campaign in his second season as a full-time relief pitcher, but experienced some regression last year. The Dodgers were also linked to Greene prior to last season’s trade deadline.
Not for nothing, Stroman went seven scoreless innings in what may have been his final start for the Blue Jays. While the Dodgers have been linked to Tigers starter Matthew Boyd, there’s yet to be any indication of having interest in Stroman.
