Could Detroit Be Willing to Trade Its All-Star Outfielder?

According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, one name being floated around as a potential trade candidate should have Tigers fans waiting on the edge of their seats.

Three-time All-Star Riley Greene, the Detroit Tigers' left fielder, is officially being mentioned in trade discussions, according to MLB general managers and executives at the Winter Meetings.

Scott Harris addressed the situation, saying, "I'm focused on Riley being a big part of the middle of our order... obviously on the trade front we have to listen to everything..."

Now, this doesn't mean Scott Harris is actively pursuing a trade to ship Greene out of town. In fact, Harris made sure to emphasize that he is focused on Greene being a big part of the middle of Detroit's lineup.

That's something the Tigers desperately needed throughout last season. On the occasions when Greene landed on the injured list, the team's offensive production dropped off a cliff. The most recent instance came just as Detroit had miraculously fought its way back into the playoff picture. As soon as Greene left the lineup, the wins stopped coming, and the Tigers' chances of making the playoffs began to plummet.

Greene made his third consecutive All-Star team and remains a pillar of the Tigers' offense and defense.

He continued collecting recognition during the offseason, earning The Sporting News' All-Star Outfielder award and receiving a Silver Slugger nomination.

However, Harris made sure to mention one sentence that will continue ringing in the ears of Tigers fans throughout the Winter Meetings: The organization is listening to everything on the trade front.

That means the possibility of trading its All-Star outfielder as the next wave of young talent begins to arrive in Detroit is not completely off the table.

This is the business side of baseball. Conversations between teams are always ongoing, and they ramp up considerably during the Winter Meetings. Still, all the rumors that swirl around these meetings need to be taken with a grain of salt.

This is where headlines and clickbait are born. If I had to guess whether the Tigers will actually move Greene, I would put all my money on saying they absolutely do not, at least not this year. But the conversations are most definitely happening, and potential deals are being discussed.

Greene finished the season hitting .280 with 21 home runs in 140 games. He led the Tigers with 32 doubles while driving in 75 runs and scoring 79 times himself.

You never know what can happen at the Winter Meetings, but this is certainly something worth keeping an eye on.

Detroit loves Riley Greene, but the Tigers aren't afraid to move on from a player if it means continuing to build a better team. For now, Tigers fans can take Harris' comments for what they are: an acknowledgment that the organization will listen, not confirmation that Greene is going anywhere.