Yankees, Diamondbacks, Tigers complete three-team trade

The New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Detroit Tigers completed a three-team trade earlier today, according to multiple reports. The Diamondbacks have since announced the deal.

The Yankees received shortstop Didi Gregorius from the Diamondbacks. From the Tigers, the Diamondbacks acquired left-handed starter Robbie Ray and middle infield prospect Domingo Leyba. Detroit acquired right-hander Shane Greene from the Yankees.

Apparently, the Yankees offered the Diamondbacks Shane Greene for Didi Gregorius straight-up, according to a report, but the deal was rejected, so the Yankees brought the Tigers into the trade. The trade had just materialized over the past two days. 

Gregorius will presumably fit right into the shortstop position that Derek Jeter left at the end of this season. He was signed by the Reds as an amateur free agent in 2007 out of the Netherlands and first appeared in professional baseball in 2008 at age 18. Gregorius was traded to Arizona in a three-team deal that sent Shin-Soo Choo from the Indians to the Reds. 

Over the past two seasons, with the Diamondbacks, the 24-year-old Gregorius has been a real solid, young shortstop. He has 724 plate appearances over these past two years, hitting .243/.313/.366 with 13 homers and 57 runs batted in. He was worth no defensive runs saved in 2014.

The Diamondbacks are getting two good prospects from the Tigers in return for Gregorius. Robbie Ray, a 23-year-old left-hander. Ray posted a 1-4 record with an 8.16 ERA in 28.2 innings with the Tigers last year. He posted a 4.22 ERA with Triple-A Toledo in 100.1 innings. Ray was acquired from the Nationals as apart of the Doug Fister deal and was rated by MLB.com as baseball's 97th-best prospect before this year.

Ray is not the only return for the Diamondbacks. They also get 18-year-old middle infield prospect Domingo Leyba from the Tigers, who posted a .323/.360/.423 line with two homers and 24 runs batted in between Single-A Short Season Connecticut and Single-A West Michigan.

Shane Greene, a 26-year-old righty, heads to the Tigers from the Yankees. Green went 5-4 with a 3.78 ERA in 78.2 innings pitched with New York this season. He had never been a top prospect, but his 3.73 FIP suggests that his 3.78 ERA wasn't because of luck. Greene could be the wild-card in this deal for Detroit.

The Yankees get their replacement shortstop for Jeter. Didi Gregorius heads from the Diamondbacks to New York in a three-team trade.

--Devan Fink

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