Tigers willing to move Porcello?

[Brian]

That Victor Martinez may return a little early would further bolster the Tigers confidence in their current roster. But they've got some serious decisions coming. In the next three weeks, the Tigers must determine right-hander Rick Porcello's maximum value. Is he at best a still frustratingly inconsistent No. 4 starter or a 23-year-old two-time 14-game winner -- with two more years under team contractual control -- who could attract immediate help if packaged in the right deal? ... [If] general manager Dave Dombrowski believes there's a realistic chance Turner could have a defined role in 2013, it could make Porcello more expendable -- if not now, then certainly during the off-season.

Detroit Free Press

Tigers willing to move Porcello?

[Yoda]

Selling low is always brilliant.

Nothing to see here. It seems unlikely that they'd go with two rookies in the rotation, especially when there's a chance they'd really have to limit their innings later on. If the team was spiraling further from contention, then sure. Not now.

[EppOnite]

Let's see how Porcello does next year with the possability (hope) of two middle infielders that can go get the ball behind him. Just too many grand ball hits when he is on the mound. With two goons on the corners, they need guys who can catch the ball up the middle.

That's not to take the blame off him either, he's been very frustrating.

[Tim Mitchell]

Would you move him for a Brandon Phillips "type"?

[STLTiger69]

I'd be somewhat shocked if the Tigers would trade Porcello mid-season. It can happen but I think the Tigers would feel better promoting Turner to the major league rotation next year. Also the Tigers for the rest of the 2012 season may want Turner available if there was an injury at the ML level to fill in. Lastly, If Porcello does get traded mid season, Turner is getting on the job experiance in a play-off type atmosphere which might be too much for him year one.

Also I think Porcello is not a "difference maker" that another team would want to pick up at the trade deadline (lol, do you want Porcello or Fister?). I think his advertisement would read "Cheap, innings eater, middle-back of the rotation guy" and those pitchers are typically wanted over the offseason rather than the trade deadline.

[Yoda]

Would you move him for a Brandon Phillips "type"?

Who is a Brandon Phillips type and why would a team give him to us for Porcello? Trades have to work both ways.

Regardless, it still isn't likely during the season. After the season, anything can happen. I expect a starter or two to be traded.

[PuNk42AE]

Selling low is always brilliant.

Nothing to see here. It seems unlikely that they'd go with two rookies in the rotation, especially when there's a chance they'd really have to limit their innings later on. If the team was spiraling further from contention, then sure. Not now.

I said something about that a bit ago, that's the biggest issue. If they are both taking some turns in the 5th spot it lowers down the innings and might be able to pitch through September. But if there is a trade of one of our main 4 current SP, without another coming into the majors, they will have to find multiple spot starters in September for two spots.

[tiger337]

I am confident that Porcello will not be traded during the season unless he is part of a package that brings a better starting pitcher back.

[Brian]

Who is a Brandon Phillips type and why would a team give him to us for Porcello? Trades have to work both ways.

Regardless, it still isn't likely during the season. After the season, anything can happen. I expect a starter or two to be traded.

Clearly the Brewers will be sellers so Ryan Braun LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Yoda]

Clearly the Brewers will be sellers so Ryan Braun LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have no idea what this means.

Just curious, you started this discussion, so you must think it's a possibility, correct? What do you do later in the season when the two rookies need to be shut down?

[wildturkey]

Yeah, I'm sure teams are lining up to give away BP types for a guy in Rick Porcello who is steadily getting worse every season.

[Brian]

I have no idea what this means.

Just curious, you started this discussion, so you must think it's a possibility, correct? What do you do later in the season when the two rookies need to be shut down?

It's just an off the cuff remark to the Brandon Phillips thought.

Porcello by himself can't bring a Phillips type player. He would have to be packaged.

[pyrotigers]

Porcello is bad and probably always will be, but if you trade him you've got an unready Jacob Turner or a bad Casey Crosby or Adam Wilk or some other disaster in the rotation and a rookie Drew Smyly who you can't be sure of how many innings you'll get out of...that doesn't sound good

[tiger337]

Yeah, I'm sure teams are lining up to give away BP types for a guy in Rick Porcello who is steadily getting worse every season.

is Porcello getting steadily worse or is the infield defense getting steadily worse?

[Yoda]

It's just an off the cuff remark to the Brandon Phillips thought.

Porcello by himself can't bring a Phillips type player. He would have to be packaged.

And you can't just package him with other garbage like Delmon Young.

[Oblong]

is Porcello getting steadily worse or is the infield defense getting steadily worse?

Bingo.

[ErieTigerFan]

is Porcello getting steadily worse or is the infield defense getting steadily worse?

B

[jackson_cannery]

RP helps the team more than anybody we could get for him in a trade.

[TigersSlappy]

These "are they willing" articles always bother me because I see them as lazy journalism. Of course the Tigers are willing to trade Porcello or anyone else on the roster for the right package so what's the news? If you dispute that assertion then tell me the Tigers would turn down Strasburg, Zimmerman and Harper for JV? Yes, that's absurd but not as absurd as the notion that anyone is "untouchable", there's always a deal out there that would cause a trade of even a great player.

[RedTeamGo!]

Would you move him for a Brandon Phillips "type"?

"hahahahahahahaha" - Walt Jocketty

[tiger337]

I think a 23 year-old pitcher with a low walk rate and high ground ball rate would have quite a bit of value to the right team. You won't get a huge return just for him, but I still think he's a valuable trade chip in a package.

[Scottish caveman]

RP helps the team more than anybody we could get for him in a trade.

I agree 100 xxx !!

[pyrotigers]

The infield defense has gotten worse, but Porcello hasn't gotten better, that's the problem. He's 23 now and he still doesn't have a good change up, or a good breaking pitch, his 4 seamer has improved a tiny bit while his sinker seems worse than when he was a rookie.

His swinging strike % has improved significantly over the last two years....to get back just above the levels he had as a rookie in 2009. And it's still bad. The one encouraging thing is that his GB/FB rate is actually at a career high, with his inability to miss bats he has to be an elite groundball guy, and well...ok yeah that goes back to the Tigers infield defense.

So I guess the question is...will the Tigers ever have a good infield defense? If not you're going to end up selling low on him eventually.

[STLTiger69]

The infield defense has gotten worse, but Porcello hasn't gotten better, that's the problem. He's 23 now and he still doesn't have a good change up, or a good breaking pitch, his 4 seamer has improved a tiny bit while his sinker seems worse than when he was a rookie.

His swinging strike % has improved significantly over the last two years....to get back just above the levels he had as a rookie in 2009. And it's still bad. The one encouraging thing is that his GB/FB rate is actually at a career high, with his inability to miss bats he has to be an elite groundball guy, and well...ok yeah that goes back to the Tigers infield defense.

So I guess the question is...will the Tigers ever have a good infield defense? If not you're going to end up selling low on him eventually.

Good points!

I just think it boils down to if the Tigers think Smyly and Turner will eclipse what they percieve Porcello will give them in the future. Also don't forget the dollar talking too! Porcello is making $3.1M this year but my understanding is that he's arbitration elgible for next year (so maybe closer to $4M+ for 2013) and if the Tigers think they can get as good pitching from Turner or better than Porcello at a net savings of say $3M- to me it's a no brainer.

[Boattown Tiger]

B

RP could not be in a worse situation re defense behind him.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

^^^To be fair, RP requires a top defense behind him because he doesn't strike people out at a high enough rate.

So while the Tigers' situation is bad for him, he is responsible, in my mind, for being more dependent on defense than most pitchers.

[RandyMarsh]

I don't have the stats to back this up, so maybe it's just my imagination but Porcello also seems to give up more hard hit grounders than most other groundball pitchers that I watch. Like to me it seems like a good chunk of his grounders are seeds that I think would be hard to get to even if you had great defenders behind him. Where as I watch guys like Fister who get more of the slow rollers or choppers than he does missiles on the ground like it seems like Porcello gives up. But again this may just be my imagination.

[Gehringer_2]

I think a 23 year-old pitcher with a low walk rate and high ground ball rate would have quite a bit of value to the right team. You won't get a huge return just for him, but I still think he's a valuable trade chip in a package.

I could believe there is an organization or two out there who would love to see what their coaching staffs could do with Porcello. Here is a guy who can throw 94, doesn't walk anybody, and can throw all his secondary pitches for strikes, even if they are not plus pitches. I think a lot of baseball people would look at that throwing skill set and think there has to be a way to recombine the ingredients for more success than RP is currently achieving. Of course I'm sure they would still rather buy low.

[Motor City Sonics]

I've got it. Rick Porcello, Ryan Raburn and Don Kelly to the Dodgers for Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw. Just go to SETTINGS and set the real world to FORCE TRADES and make it happen.

[Antrat]

So you're saying I should close the "The God,I Love Rick Porcello Thread!" thread?

[TigersSlappy]

I've got it. Rick Porcello, Ryan Raburn and Don Kelly to the Dodgers for Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw. Just go to SETTINGS and set the real world to FORCE TRADES and make it happen.

I'd even throw Elmon in to close the deal if we had to.

[irvink]

Buster Olney wrote today the he's heard some speculation that the best thing for the Tigers to do might be to trade Porcello while he has some value, since he is a poor fit for our subpar defense.

He speculated that perhaps the Tigers could build a deal for Garza around Porcello. He also thought Rick could be a nice fit for the Braves or Reds.

Billy Hamilton on pace to break minor league stolen-base record - MLB - ESPN

[Hart]

Buster Olney wrote today the he's heard some speculation that the best thing for the Tigers to do might be to trade Porcello while he has some value, since he is a poor fit for our subpar defense.

He speculated that perhaps the Tigers could build a deal for Garza around Porcello. He also thought Rick could be a nice fit for the Braves or Reds.

Billy Hamilton on pace to break minor league stolen-base record - MLB - ESPN

My first thought to this...what was Buster Olney smoking when he wrote this? But the more I think about, I do not expect the Cubs are going to get equal value for Garza because he is a free agent. The smart move would be to re-sign him. But if they are going to trade him, Porcello might actually be the type of pitcher the have to take in return...still has considerable upside but his stock is not near as high as it was two years ago.

[Nastradamus]

The only way Porcello gets moved is if we get an established starter back in return. I'd love to pull off a Wandy/Altuve package some how.

[irvink]

My first thought to this...what was Buster Olney smoking when he wrote this? But the more I think about, I do not expect the Cubs are going to get equal value for Garza because he is a free agent. The smart move would be to re-sign him. But if they are going to trade him, Porcello might actually be the type of pitcher the have to take in return...still has considerable upside but his stock is not near as high as it was two years ago.

Garza isn't a FA until after the 2013 season. Obviously don't think Porcello alone could get it done. But Porcello and a couple prospects not named Turner/Castellanos...

[PuNk42AE]

Porcello isn't going to be a Headliner in a trade to get back a SP that will help this team out this season. He would have to be more of a throw-in after someone else better.

[TheCouga]

Zero chance of this happening.

There's no way we trade away starting pitching depth during a season where we are contending. Doesn't even make sense from the long-term perspective. Porcello is still young and cheap, and has decent upside.

It's really annoying how any website can just make stuff up these days, and if it's absurd enough, it will get enough hits and people will link to it.

[RJBBREZ]

Zero chance of this happening.

There's no way we trade away starting pitching depth during a season where we are contending.

The Tigers are contending? I think they would need to be above .500 before that can even be mentioned.

Of all the pitchers on the roster, I can see RP being traded. It's not totally out of the question.

[tiger337]

The Tigers are contending? I think they would need to be above .500 before that can even be mentioned.

Of all the pitchers on the roster, I can see RP being traded. It's not totally out of the question.

They are 3 1/2 games out. How is that not contending? What if no team in a division finishes above .500? Does that mean no team contended?

[TigersSlappy]

They are 3 1/2 games out. How is that not contending? What if no team in a division finishes above .500? Does that mean no team contended?

They would all be the great pretenders. ;-)