Detroit Tigers: Will Shane Greene be the closer in 2019?

After a breakout season in the Detroit Tigers bullpen in 2017, Shane Greene struggled in his first full season as a closer.

In 2018, the Detroit Tigers finished with a record of 64-98. It was the same record that a Tigers team that had bigger names and more talent for most of the year achieved in 2017. One player that took a step backwards in 2018, however, was closer Shane Greene.

Back in 2017, Greene made a full-time transition to the bullpen and had a breakout season. Through 67.2 innings pitched, Greene posted a 2.66 ERA (169 ERA+) and a 1.24 WHIP. Following the trade of Justin Wilson to the Chicago Cubs, Greene served as the Tigers’ closer for the final two months of the season.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, Greene was unable to repeat his success from a season ago. Aside from maintaining a very good 9.24 K/9, Greene’s season was largely a struggle. He appeared to be much more hitable.

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Over 63.1 innings pitched, Greene posted a 5.12 ERA (86 ERA+) and a 1.37 WHIP. Among relievers who had thrown a minimum of 60 innings, Greene had the third-worst ERA in all of baseball. He was 32 for 38 in save opportunities.

Greene, whose name has come up in trade rumors in the past, remains under team control through 2020. Unless Greene can rebound, it would appear that the Tigers may have missed out on their best chance to deal him.

Of course, it is still possible that the Tigers might be able to yet find a taker for Greene this offseason, though it may not be terribly likely. Only time will tell. Assuming Greene is back next season, the Tigers should at least consider removing him from the closer’s role.

Earlier this season, it appeared as though Greene’s replacement was already waiting in the wings. In the first half, Joe Jimenez posted a 2.72 ERA and was Detroit’s lone representative in the 2018 All-Star game. In the second half, however, Jimenez posted a bloated 7.78 ERA. If Jimenez has a strong spring training, perhaps he may yet be able to challenge Greene for the closer’s job.

Perhaps the Tigers could even scour the free agent market for an affordable, short-term option. Former Tiger Fernando Rodney, who spent the past season with the Minnesota Twins and Oakland Athletics, has a $4.25 million option next season. If his option he declined, he could present an interesting possibility. The Tigers were reportedly linked to Rodney last offseason before he signed with the Twins. Perhaps even someone such as Bud Norris, who posted a 3.59 ERA, a 10.46 K/9 and saved 28 games for the St. Louis Cardinals last year, could be a realistic option as well.

According to Vito Chirco of the Detroit Free Press, the Tigers played 52 one-run games in 2018, posting a record of 22-30 in such contests. In order for the Tigers to continue crawling their way back in relevance, they will need to be a bit better in close games. Having a dependable closer is obviously going to be a key part of that formula, as is the return of an impact bat (i.e. Miguel Cabrera who missed most of the season).

Greene still has talent and shouldn’t necessarily be counted out after one bad season. But going forward, it should certainly be interesting to see whether or not the Detroit Tigers have enough confidence to stick with him in the ninth-inning.