DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers traded Shane Greene to the Atlanta Braves and Nicholas Castellanos to the Chicago Cubs for four prospects ahead of the MLB trade deadline.
Shane Greene trade
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Greene was the first player traded from Detroit, about 30 minutes before the deadline. He was sent to the Braves for Atlanta's No. 7 prospect, Joey Wentz, and Travis Demeritte, who was ranked outside the organization's top 30 prospects.
Wentz, 21, is a left-handed pitcher who has struck out 100 batters in 103 innings while posting a 1.31 WHIP and 4.72 ERA in Double-A.
Demeritte, 24, hasn't had much success in previous minor league seasons, but has 20 home runs, 28 doubles and a .944 OPS in Triple-A this year.
Greene was masterful this season for the Tigers, allowing just five earned runs in 38 innings while striking out 43 batters. He posted a 1.18 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 10.2 K/9 in 38 appearances.
Of his 38 outings, which all lasted exactly one inning, Greene allowed earned runs in just four of them. Other than an April 16 outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Greene never allowed multiple earned runs in a game.
More than a third of Greene's outings -- 13, to be exact -- have resulted in 1-2-3 innings. While his 3.70 FIP suggests he's due for some regression, he's been one of the best relief pitchers in the league this year.
Greene spent five seasons with the Tigers after being acquired in a three-team trade Dec. 5, 2014. The Tigers sent Domingo Leyba and Robbie Ray to the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Diamondbacks sent Didi Gregorius to the Yankees and the Yankees sent Greene to the Tigers.
Greene was a starter for the first season in Detroit but was moved to the bullpen permanently in 2016. He appeared in 243 games for the Tigers, posting a 4.72 ERA, 4.19 FIP, 1.32 WHIP and 8.3 K/9.
His last appearance in the Old English D came Monday against the Los Angeles Angels, polishing off a rare Tigers win, 7-2, with a scoreless ninth inning, allowing one walk and striking out two batters.
Greene, 30, is eligible for arbitration next season but is under team control. He is making $4 million this season.
Nicholas Castellanos trade
After the 4 p.m. deadline passed, it was announced Castellanos had been traded to the Cubs. The Tigers acquired pitching prospects Paul Richan and Alex Lange in the deal.
Richan, 22, was the Cubs' No. 16 prospect. He owns a 1.23 WHIP and 3.97 ERA this season in High-A ball, with 86 strikeouts in 93 innings.
Lange, 23, was the Cubs' No. 23 prospect. he owns a 1.60 WHIP and 5.82 ERA with 79 strikeouts in 86.2 innings across High-A and Double-A this season.
Castellanos was the Tigers' best hitter this season, posting a .790 OPS with 11 home runs and a league-leading 37 doubles in 100 games.
He spent the first six and a half seasons of his career in Detroit after being the team's first-round pick in the 2010 draft.
Castellanos posted a career .783 OPS with 103 home runs and 208 doubles in 837 games.
He is set to become a free agent at the end of the season.
Matt Boyd stays in Detroit
The Tigers' top trade piece, Matt Boyd, was not moved ahead of the deadline. He has three more years of team control, so the Tigers didn't feel pressure to move him without a massive return.
Boyd has an elite 12.1 K/9 along with a 1.13 WHIP, 3.94 ERA, 3.47 FIP and 6.14 strikeouts per walk.