Braves Reportedly Acquire Closer Shane Greene From Tigers
By Sam Dunn
Luke Jackson fans, weep! All sane human beings who don't hate themselves, rejoice!
The Atlanta Braves have made the MLB trade deadline move they've been chasing all along. One day after swooping in for Rangers reliever Chris Martin, they've reportedly snagged closer Shane Greene from the Detroit Tigers.
Braves get Shane Greene, pending medicals
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 31, 2019
The Braves haven't had a natural back-end guy on the roster ever since Arodys Vizcaino blew out his labrum and ended up getting traded to Seattle, so Greene's looming arrival satisfies an immediate, obvious need. You can't get far in the playoffs without a real-live closer, and Greene is that, a 2019 All-Star with 22 saves and a terrific 1.18 ERA to his name.
In response, the Tigers get Braves top-10 prospect Joey Wentz and slugger Travis Demeritte.
#Tigers acquiring Joey Wentz and Travis Demeritte from the #Braves in exchange for Shane Greene, sources tell The Athletic. Unclear if others involved.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) July 31, 2019
Jackson, the shambling Atlanta closer-by-default up to this point, cannot exactly compare.
#Braves' Luke Jackson charged with 2 hits, 2 runs without recording an out in the 9th. Has allowed 8 hits, 7 runs in 3 innings over his past 4 appearances.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) July 31, 2019
The defending NL East champs aren't content to keep treading water. They're serious about breaking through, and made the single best bullpen move they could have made to help see it through.