Detroit Tigers pitcher Rick Porcello is not going anywhere

Mar 4, 2014; Lakeland, FL, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Rick Porcello (21) throws a pitch during the first inning of a spring training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Joker Marchant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

There have been some rumors that Detroit Tigers’ pitcher Rick Porcello may be on the move to the Toronto Blue Jays for a couple of prospects. Dave Dombrowski has since come out and said, “We’re not trading any of our starting pitchers.”

There is no guarantee that any trades will or will not be made just because Dombrowski said so. Looking at the situation the Detroit Tigers are in, there shouldn’t be any trades made including starting pitching. The Tigers’ staff has the strongest top three in the American League and one of, if not the best starting staff in all of baseball. The team did trade acquire Robbie Ray in the offseason from the Washington Nationals, but he is probably a year away from being major league ready. Drew VerHagen has impressed some with his stuff this spring, but he would only come up to the Tigers in a bullpen role or if there is an injury to Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Anibal Sanchez, Porcello, or Drew Smyly. If the Tigers were to move a starter, my money would be on him, but it’s still highly doubtful.

If the Tigers were going to move Porcello, they would have done it instead of moving Doug Fister to the Nationals in the offseason. Smyly showed last season he could pitch in the big leagues and the Tigers wanted to give him a spot in the rotation as a reward for his performance last year which left Fister or Porcello as the odd man out. That man was Fister.

Rick Porcello will be on the Opening Day Roster for the Detroit Tigers. The only ways I do not see him on the roster are if he is on the disabled list, or if the Tigers got an offer they couldn’t refuse.