Well it is that time of the year. The time when teams finally round out their opening day roster. Yesterday the Tigers made the surprising move of cutting Sheffield and eating the $14 million he had left on his contract. Today the Tigers announced that that 20-year-old Rick Porcello had won a spot in their starting rotation despite having never pitched above Single-A. I usually like kids moving up fast through the farm system, but this is a little much. I know they don't have a lot to choose from, but at least give this kid a couple starts in AAA before throwing him to the wolves. How many innings will this kid be able to pitch this year anyways?
The Tigers like to do these kinds of things, but we have seen it come back and bite some of their players. Some could argue they did this to Verlander, Bonderman, ect. He might be good this year, but I worry about his arm holding up. Since Verlander has been a pro his velocity has gone from...
'06: 95.1 mph
'07: 94.8
'08: 93.6
I would make the argument that they didn't let him progress the way he needed to. I really like this Porcello kid, and I think he will do well, but I worry about long term damage this team may be doing to him, and for what? A team that most likely will not make the playoffs...
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