Dodgers, veteran reliever Shane Greene agree to minors deal

The Dodgers have agreed to a minor-league deal with veteran reliever Shane Greene, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. Greene returns to Chavez Ravine after inking an MLB contract with the Dodgers last August and appearing in nine games with the team down the stretch.

That brief stint in L.A. saw Greene post a 4.05 ERA, 23.3% strikeout rate, and an ungainly 16.7% walk rate over 6 2/3 innings of work. While nothing spectacular, it was still a big step up from Greene’s previous work last season — 17 innings out of the Braves bullpen that saw the right-hander struggle to an 8.47 ERA.

It was an unusual season overall for Greene, as his trip through free agency didn’t result in a deal of any kind until Atlanta signed him to a big-league deal in May. The lack of a proper spring training undoubtedly had some impact on Greene’s performance, and while this season’s abbreviated spring camps are also not exactly normal, Greene will at least get some type of regular prep time as he tries to win a job in the Los Angeles bullpen.

Greene has been a little inconsistent since becoming a full-time reliever in 2017, yet he has posted some very strong numbers when at his best. The right-hander enjoyed very solid seasons in 2017 and 2019 while pitching with the Tigers (serving as Detroit’s closer and reaching the All-Star Game in 2019) and delivered another good year over 27 2/3 frames with Atlanta in the shortened 2020 season. However, Greene has never been a big strikeout pitcher even in his prime, and since the advanced metrics take a dimmer view of his performance than his real-world numbers, it could explain why Greene languished for so long on the open market last offseason.

If Greene can return to his old form, the Dodgers may have found a reliable and durable bullpen arm at a relative bargain price. L.A. has assembled quite a collection of notable relievers in camp on minors deals, as Greene joins a list that includes Reyes Moronta, Carson Fulmer, Yency Almonte, Bobby Wahl and Sam Gaviglio.