Tigers sign closer Greene for $4M, avoid arbitration

Detroit — Shane Greene is back in the fold.

The Tigers avoided arbitration with their closer Thursday night, the two sides agreeing on a one-year, $4 million contract for 2019.

Greene, 30, is coming off a rough season. Although he was fourth in the American League with 32 saves (with six blown saves), he posted an ERA of 5.12 with a 1.37 WHIP. He also allowed 12 home runs in 63 innings.

Had he gone to arbitration, industry projections (MLBTradeRumors.com) had him getting as much as $4.8 million.

The deadline for teams and arbitration-eligible players to exchange salary figures is 1 p.m. Friday. There are still five arbitration-eligible players unsigned: Nick Castellanos, Michael Fulmer, Matthew Boyd, Blaine Hardy and Daniel Norris.

Twitter: @cmccosky