By Mark Wilson
December 11, 2014

It’s no mystery that I’m a big Rick Porcello fan.

I’ve spent countless minutes on the radio defending and backing the Tigers’ first round MLB draft pick of 2007. From the moment he dropped down in that draft because of the money involved, I praised Dave Dombrowski for taking him.

Ricky P. was my guy.

Now he is Boston’s guy.

That sucks.

Porcello was traded to the Red Sox on the final year of his arbitration season for outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and minor league pitcher Alex Wilson.

Sorry Dave, you can’t butter my onions by getting a guy in the trade with my last name.

A couple of years ago we first heard Porcello was available but Dombrowski always hesitated because Rick was doing things on the mound not many can do at a young age.

At age 20 Ricky P. had a solid 14-9, 3.96 ERA campaign in 2009. He finished third in Rookie of the Year voting.

10-12 record followed in 2010 followed by 14-9 in 2011 and another 10-12 in 2012.

Weird pattern his first four MLB seasons in Detroit.

He broke the habit in 2013 by going 13-8 and then again this year with a career-high 15 victories.

By 25, Porcello had 76 major league wins and 63 losses. His victory total is better at that age than Hall of Fame pitchers like Tom Seaver, Bob Gibson and the great lefties Warren Spahn and Sandy Koufax.

Spahn had EIGHT of his 363 triumphs at age 25.

Arguably, Ricky was due a big payday in arbitration this winter.

Not arguably, the Tigers didn’t want to pay him.

Dumping Porcello now means no $15 million or so deal for 2015 and an even bigger free agent year in 2016.

See ya, Rick! Gonna miss ya.

Cespedes is a guy the Tigers needed desperately. Or, at least someone like him.

The Tigers spent the ’14 slate missing one more power bat.

I lobbied last winter for them to sign an affordable Nelson Cruz to go along with Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez. Instead, the Orioles inked Cruz and all he did was lead the big leagues in home runs with 40.

Cruz was the ONLY player in MLB to bash the 40 mark.

He also beat up the Tigers in the postseason like he did in 2011 with Texas.

Just desserts for not signing him.

Detroit got lucky that Martinez had a career year in homers since Cabrera fell off by about 20 from 2013 in that category. When Prince Fielder was traded to the Rangers for Ian Kinsler, D.D. failed to find another long ball presence.

Cespedes hit 22 dings last season split between Boston and Oakland. He had 49 his first two years.

The hope is that somehow Cespedes will find 81 games at Comerica Park to his liking and be able to climb from that 22 spot.

If nothing else, it gives the Tigers another bat other than Miggy or V-Mart that teams have to fear and pay attention too.

There was NO WAY to get Cespedes without parting with Porcello.
It is just disappointing.

Could Ricky P. be infuriating at times? Of course. All pitchers can be.

Could he look like a freakin’ HOF’er at times?

Those back to back shutouts this season, something no Tiger had done since Jack Morris, showed the star quality he possesses.

Porcello turns 26 a couple of days after Christmas.

The Red Sox are getting a pitcher not even in his prime yet. They get to be the beneficiary of what heights Rick can hit. If indeed there are 20-win campaigns in his future, they’ll be done in Boston or somewhere other than Motown.

Too bad.

Just to satisfy the fan base and his own rotation, Dombrowski quickly made the trade with Cincinnati to secure 33-year old Alfredo Simon.

Simon was an All-Star this year with the Reds. All D.D. gave up was crappy shortstop Eugenio Suarez and minor league hurler Jon Crawford.

Dombrowski indicated that his “rotation was set.”

It was a back-handed jab or a game play with Max Scherzer that the Tigers weren’t in the market now for a pitcher who wants a $200 million deal.

Me’s thinks the Tigers’ front office is tired of Scherzer and agent Scott Boras holding Mike Ilitch for ransom.

At least… that’s how it feels.

Justin Verlander, David Price, Anibal Sanchez, Simon and the other new acquisition, Shane Greene.

There ya have it, peeps.

Verlander is on year ONE of that crazy big ass deal he signed which will pay him $28 million per annum the next FIVE seasons.

His girlfriend Kate Upton is extremely happy with the eight million dollar raise from this past season.

Of course, JV goes into 2015 on the heels of his second WORST pitching line.

15-12 and a scandalous 4.54 ERA does not merit $28-million.

159 strikeouts? Verlander’s lowest total since he busted out as a rookie in 2006.

But, he’s still Justin Verlander and as he turns 32 in February, the hope is he’ll get back on track.

Wait, let’s not say HOPE; let’s say PRAYER.

Price’s name came up in trades at the Winter Meetings too.

So far, DP14 remains a Tiger.

This is Price’s “3rd year arb” contract season and he’s due a raise from $14 million. He may get near or at $20 million with a Cy Young Award on his resume.

Long term deal? Until further notice, I don’t think so.

Is Price still worth it? Oh yeah, he is.

Even though he was only 4-4, 3.59 after the trade from Tampa, Price still led the AL in K’s with a whopping 271. It was 53 more than his previous best.

In older times, like THREE years ago, Ilitch would have told Dombrowski to have DP14 signed, sealed and delivered for the next five seasons already.

Times have changed.

Sanchez got the last of the BIG pitching contracts in Detroit.

2015 will be the second year of the five year deal that now pays Anibal $16.8 million per until 2018 when he has a $16 million team option and $5 mil buyout.

He is fresh off injury which limited him to 21 starts.

Sanchez pitched just two relief innings in the playoff series against the Orioles.

The prayer on him is that he returns to his 2013 form when he won 14 times but also led the AL in ERA at 2.57.

A lot of PRAYING is going to take place off Woodward and Montcalm.

Simon and Greene’s contracts are too minor compared to those three.

So why was Porcello dumped for an average power like Cespedes and why is Scherzer a glimmer of happier times?

I still believe it comes down to two words.

“District Detroit.”

The Red Wings new hockey arena and surrounding retail and entertainment complex is going to cost Ilitch hundreds of millions of dollars. It is his baby and going to be his legacy when he is not around.

Ilitch has given this baseball thing a good go.

Amazingly, EIGHT seasons have gone by since the Tigers shocked everyone by appearing in the 2006 World Series. It came out of nowhere with first year manager Jim Leyland. It was a magical fall for a Detroit fan base aching for a winner.

In the subsequent eight campaigns, the Tigers have won four division titles. They went back to the series in 2012 and got royally swept by the Giants.

Still no trophy for Ilitch’s mantel.

At some point even HE had to cut bait with the wild, kooky spending on baseball players.

It’s why Ilitch couldn’t wait to get Fielder out of town.

Now, he’s not stupid.

Mr. I holds out hope, or prayer, that the nucleus he is paying can get it done. Cabrera is special to him and the ridiculous deal that doesn’t even kick in until NEXT YEAR that pays Miggy another $248 million.

8 years, 248 and it doesn’t start until 2016.

He has one more year left at a paltry $22 million.

I hope Miggy can survive on that!

Technically, if Cabrera hits all his numbers and the vested option years come to fruition, Miggy will be making $30 million at age 42 in 2025.

2025!

That sounds like a joke year.

“In the year 20-25… Cabrera makes money as he is still alive!”

I am singing it as I type.

Cooler heads prevailed after that and, outside of Sanchez and Verlander; no one has a nutso contract from the Tigers since.

Dombrowski and Ilitch would now have to PROVE they are still in the business of throwing money around before I will believe it.

That’s why I never thought Scherzer would be back.

He was odd man out when it came to snaking one of those JV or Miggy cash cows.

Was that $144 million offer REALLY on the table last winter?

I am suspect.

My gut tells me that D.D.’s marching order was to fix the rotation and lineup through trades and small free agent signings and not go hog wild on the big MLB stars.

Cespedes isn’t in that category yet which made it easy for Boston to trade him for Porcello.

It was a no-brainer as far as the Bosox were concerned.

Barring another sizzler, this is probably how the Tigers are heading to Lakeland in two months.

Rajai Davis and Anthony Gose, couple of former Blue Jays, will man the leadoff spot and play outfield.

Ian Kinsler is solid as the second baseman and second hitter in the lineup.

Miguel Cabrera.

Nuff said there despite his 2014 power downsize.

Victor Martinez.

Ditto on the nuff said.

In the five hole, I would think second year manager Brad Ausmus thinks enough of Cespedes to pencil him in that spot. It could be a flip with JD Martinez after the breakout season JD had coming over from Houston.

Nick Castellanos owns third base and the seven position in Ausmus’ lineup world.

Hello Alex Avila in the eight hole and at catcher. Don’t get too comfy there Alex because James McCann and Brian Holladay are waiting at the ready.

If Jose Iglesias is REALLY recovered from his double shin issues then he bats ninth and plays short.

As far as the bench goes, there is still some wiggle room for another player or two to be added before spring training.

The bullpen continues to be the sore spot before we turn the calendar to 2015.

Bruce Rondon’s health will be in the spotlight.

If Rondon can pitch, he’s an added 100 MPH weapon that wasn’t around all season. He puts pressure on Joe Nathan to be A LOT better than he was in his first go-round.

Joakim Soria is the other closer “ace” in the hole.

Phil Coke is history and is currently talking to the New York Mets. Jim Johnson went to Atlanta.

With Cokie and Johnson out of the picture, guys like Al Alburquerque, Blaine Hardy, Ian Krol, Kyle Lobstein, Luke Putkonen and Chad Smith will fight it out for bullpen spots.

Again, D.D. could be searching for a higher profile reliever to pick up some slack.

Rookies?

Outside of outfielder Steven Moya, the Tigers don’t have any ROY candidates. Even Moya will be hard pressed to make the club immediately out of Lakeland with Gose’s acquisition.

Dombrowski is working under the assumption that his squad needs to win NOW.

Ilitch’s age is a factor and despite throwing the money toward the new hockey rink, both the owner and his GM/President have faith that what returns is good enough for a FIFTH divisional title in a row.

Kansas City is better and the gold standard in the AL Central after the World Series appearance versus San Francisco.

Cleveland got Tiger killer Brandon Moss from Oakland.

The White Sox added four key pieces.

Adam LaRoche replaces the retired Paul Konerko. Ex-Cub Jeff Samardzija is back in Chicago from Oakland. Zach Duke was a free agent pickup. David Robertson left the Yankees on a four year deal to be the closer.

Those three, Samardzija-Duke-Robertson automatically give Robin Ventura some pitching to go along with Chris Sale, John Danks and Jose Quintana.

The White Sox… are better.

Minnesota has a new manager in Hall of Famer Paul Molitor.

Molly will struggle in his first season with the Twins, but they’ve got some reasons to feel good.

An AL Central cakewalk is not on the horizon for the Tigers.

Not by a long shot.

Personally, I am surprised Dombrowski didn’t try to move Porcello to the National League.

Going to Boston keeps Ricky P. in the AL where he has the chance to be a thorn in the side.

Not a HUGE thorn, but a thorn nonetheless.

Without a doubt, the Tigers are still very much in play in the American League. They have enough studs to keep October in their sights.

Are they as good a team today as when the season ended?

I would say that it’s arguable.

Detroit replaced one 15-game winner with another who is eight years older. They have a young Shane Greene and gave up Robbie Ray who showed a tiny twinge of ability while he was in the bigs.

In Cespedes, they added a monster bat with the capability of being a true home run threat; a threat needed to protect Miggy and V-Mart on a day to day basis.

They didn’t have that until teams started to realize that JD was for real.

Right now, I’d say it was a wash.

The hook on that is Scherzer.

Even with Max, JV and Price, the Tigers failed to win a game in the ALDS. Baltimore walked all over ‘em.

Without Max, they don’t have the comfort of a THIRD Cy Young Award winner on the staff.

I think they can win 90 without him.

It won’t be as easy and Ausmus will have to manage his ass off but it can be done. There are enough potent bats and arms to make that happen.

In short order, Dombrowski has lost three-fifths of the starting rotation that opened 2014.

Scherzer, Porcello and Drew Smyly are all gone.

That doesn’t normally take place with a club that’s won a division multiple times in succession.

Normally you keep those dudes in place.

Obviously the payroll is being trimmed. Not gutted and there is no fire sale, but trimmed for sure.

JV and Cabrera get the bulk of the money.

Max and Ricky P. were due for those big raises and long term contracts as mentioned earlier. D.D. took care of that problem in one fell swoop.

It’s just a shame for long-suffering Tiger fans who want a parade and not just another appearance in postseason play.

And it’s just a shame that it couldn’t come to pass WITH those two guys.

More than anyone, it would have been cool to see Porcello stand at the podium and tell all of Michigan how great it was to grow up in the organization and win a World Series as a Detroit Tiger.