On the surface, the pair of transactions the Detroit Tigers made on Wednesday don’t seem too significant. According the team’s public relations Twitter account, the Tigers optioned pitcher Matt Boyd to Triple-A Toledo, and signed the recently-cut Bobby Parnell to a minor league deal.
However, the two deals say a lot about Detroit moving forward.
The move to send Boyd to Triple-A Toledo effectively hands the fifth starting job to Shane Greene. Greene, who had been battling with Boyd and the now-injured Daniel Norris for the spot, will slot in behind Justin Verlander, Jordan Zimmermann, Anibal Sanchez and Mike Pelfrey in the rotation.