Greene has admirers, options in World Baseball Classic recruitment

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Carlos Beltrán could be headed to Cooperstown next summer as a Hall of Fame inductee with just a few more votes next month. He’s a special assistant in the Mets' front office and the general manager for Puerto Rico in next spring’s World Baseball Classic, trying to assemble a roster that can top their memorable 2023 run that included an upset of the Dominican Republic and a trip to the quarterfinals. And for understandable reasons relating to that last role, he’s a big fan of Tigers outfielder Riley Greene.

“He’s a run producer,” Beltrán said at last week’s Winter Meetings. “He’s very talented. I love the way he plays. He plays hard, and he has a lot of passion.”

Coming off a career-best 36-homer, 111-RBI season and back-to-back All-Star selections, Greene is a hot commodity for the Classic. The Oviedo, Fla., native has ties to Puerto Rico through his mother, and he has familiar faces on the team in fellow Tigers All-Star Javier Báez and coach Joey Cora. If he were to join, he could play a focal role in a lineup that includes Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa.

“I shoot him a text,” Beltrán said. “There’s no doubt that Joey and Javy have had conversations with him. He’s on our [preliminary] roster, and if he wants to participate, he will be more than welcome, and I will be very excited.”

However, Greene has a history with Team USA. The year before the Tigers drafted him, he was part of a star-studded American side that won a gold medal at the 2018 COPABE U-18 Pan American Championships, a roster that included Bobby Witt Jr., Corbin Carroll, CJ Abrams, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Jack Leiter and Dylan Crews. To add a World Baseball Classic title to his resume for the United States would be the ultimate encore.

Greene was invited to play for Puerto Rico in the 2023 Classic, but he opted to stay in Spring Training with the Tigers and focus on building on his injury-shortened rookie season. Beltrán confirmed at the Winter Meetings that Greene has been invited again. But after a report on social media claimed he had agreed to join, sources quickly denied that, suggesting nothing has changed.

While Greene’s friend Witt committed last summer to play for Team USA, Greene’s chances to break into the stacked American outfield are far from certain. General manager Michael Hill and manager Mark DeRosa are admirers of his game, but they acknowledged that roster considerations come into play.

“We’ve talked a lot about Riley,” Hill said. “When you look at the [roster] makeup, we’ve already announced [Aaron] Judge. We’ve announced PCA and Carroll. Riley’s another left-handed bat, so we’ve talked about finding a balanced roster, not overly left-handed or right-handed. He’s definitely been a name under consideration, but we want to make sure we’re balanced.”

There’s also a third option for Greene: None of the above. If the situation isn’t right, he can easily stay in Spring Training with the Tigers and focus on preparing for the 2026 season. Given Greene’s career trajectory, this should not be his last chance to take part.

Greene is far from the only Tiger with a chance to take part in the Classic:

• Tarik Skubal: Of course, Team USA would love for Skubal to participate. But while Hill said they connected during the MLB Awards last month in Las Vegas, it’s a tricky situation for a pitcher entering his contract season before potentially becoming the biggest free agent on the market next winter. World Baseball Classic rules are flexible for pitchers, allowing them to make a start without necessarily committing for the full tournament. But with Team USA scheduled to play in Pool B in Houston, travel could be a factor. “We’re trying,” Hill said.

• Javier Báez: Báez was a big part of Puerto Rico’s run in 2023, and he will take part again. His experience playing center field for the Tigers last season gives manager Yadier Molina flexibility mixing him into a lineup with Lindor and Correa.

• Gleyber Torres: Torres played for Venezuela in the 2023 Classic and is expected to do so again. Former Tigers greats Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez are on the staff as coaches. Pitcher Keider Montero could also be a candidate.

• Jahmai Jones: Jones said last summer he’d be interested in playing for Team Korea. His mother was born in Korea.

• Trei Cruz: Team Canada manager Ernie Whitt said that the Tigers prospect has expressed interest in playing for them. Cruz was born in Toronto, where his father José Cruz Jr. played the first half of his Major League career.

• Hao-Yu Lee: The Tigers’ No. 6 prospect has interest in taking part for Chinese Taipei, manager Hao-Jiu Tseng confirmed. “We’ve followed Hao-Yu’s accomplishments for many years,” the manager said through a translator. “We know about his abilities. He’s good and talented. We tried to recruit him, and we will be so happy to have him.”