The Texas Rangers have signed former Detroit Tigers closer Shane Greene to a minor-league deal, and the team extended an invitation to spring training to him on Wednesday.
From 2015 to 2019, Greene, now 35, pitched for the Tigers, moving up to closer in his final two seasons. Shortly after becoming the team’s only representative in the All-Star game, the Tigers moved him to the Atlanta Braves during the 2019 trade deadline.
After playing for the Braves for a portion of three seasons, Greene has since moved around.
Greene had two big-league appearances in 2022 — one with the Los Angeles Dodgers and one with the New York Yankees. He had two big-league appearances with the Chicago Cubs in 2023, spending most of the year in Triple-A Iowa.
The Florida native was originally taken in the 15th round in 2009 by the New York Yankees.
Prior to the 2015 season, he was transferred to the Tigers as part of a three-team trade that sent Didi Gregorius from the D’backs to the Yankees, Robbie Ray and Domingo Leyba from the Tigers to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
After making 16 starts as a rookie with the Tigers in 2015, Greene moved into a bullpen role the following year.
When the Tigers traded him to the Braves for outfielder Travis Demeritte and left-handed pitcher Joey Wentz, he was in the middle of his finest season to date.
Last season, Wentz started 19 games for the Tigers. Demeritte participated in the 2019 and 2020 Tigers seasons.
