Grayson Greiner Has A Rebound Year

DETROIT—For catcher Grayson Greiner, the 2016 season was nothing like 2015. That’s good news for the 6-foot-6, 220-pound backstop, who was a third-round pick in 2014.

Greiner hit .183/.254/.250 at high Class A Lakeland in 2015, his first full season. That left him on the outside looking in when it came time for the Tigers to issue invitations to big league camp in 2016.

But Greiner is certain to be in big league camp come February after a successful 2016 season. He hit .293/.339/.424 with seven home runs and 42 RBIs at three different stops, including a brief late-season appearance at Triple-A Toledo.

“He scuffled a little bit last year in Lakeland and didn’t get on track for whatever reason,” farm director Dave Owen said. “This year, he came back and really just learned from last year and had a really, really nice year for us . . .

“His bat has pop. He’s got some power in there, and he really made some real nice developmental progress. I think you’re going to see more to come from (him).”

Greiner, a South Carolina product, has always been a superior defensive catcher. He has a very strong arm. Owen said Greiner calls a good game and that pitchers love throwing to him.

One thing the Tigers really like about Greiner is that his struggles at the plate never led to him sulking behind it.

“This says a lot about him: He never let his offense affect his defense,” Owen said. “Even though he was struggling and hitting under .200 for a long, long time, he was always able to separate the offense from the defense . . .

“He’s been through it. He got himself out of it. You’re going to struggle at some point, and that’s where a lot of growth happens.”

Greiner probably will start 2017 at Double-A Erie, but a move to Toledo at some point during the season seems very likely. He hit .205/.286/.364 in 12 games in the Arizona Fall League.

TIGER TALES

• The Tigers obtained Double-A righthander Victor Alcantara in a trade that sent outfielder Cameron Maybin to the Angels.

• The trade of Maybin increases the likelihood that JaCoby Jones could earn a spot on the Opening Day roster for the Tigers, though he will battle fellow center-field candidates Anthony Gose and Tyler Collins in spring training.