RP Shane Greene Reportedly Traded from Tigers to Braves; Has 1.18 ERA, 22 Saves

The Detroit Tigers agreed to trade reliever Shane Greene to the Atlanta Braves, according to ESPN's Buster Olney.

The 30-year-old is 0-2 with a 1.18 ERA and 0.87 WHIP with 22 saves in 25 save opportunities. 

The trade likely comes as no surprise to Greene, who discussed the possibility of a move in an interview on July 9, per Evan Woodbery of MLive.com:

"It's definitely realistic. If you're a back-end bullpen guy and you're pitching well, there's a good chance you're going to get traded if your team's not winning. That's just the reality of the big leagues. To sit at home and think about it and try to figure out what might happen, it's a waste of time and energy. I'm living my life one day at a time, one pitch at a time."

Greene was in his fifth season with the Tigers after coming up as part of the New York Yankees organization.

After beginning his career as a starter, he's found success since transitioning to a bullpen role in 2016. He's been the Tigers closer for the last two seasons and bounced back from a down 2018 to put up career-best numbers this year.

The Tigers, currently last in the AL Central, have little use for an elite closer for the stretch run. Trading Greene and recouping assets in the form of prospects is a prudent move, especially with this roster years away from contention.

For Atlanta, Greene could supplant Luke Jackson as the regular closer.

The bullpen has been a problem all year for the Braves, with some arguing for a reunion with Craig Kimbrel before he ultimately signed with the Chicago Cubs. According to FanGraphs, Braves relievers collectively have a 4.78 FIP, 23rd in MLB.

Atlanta has a 6.5-game lead on the Washington Nationals in the NL East, putting a second straight division title within reach. To advance beyond the NL Division Series, the Braves needed bullpen reinforcements, which Green undoubtedly addresses.