Detroit Tigers: Rick Porcello Trade Still Paying Dividends

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Apr 27, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Alex Wilson (30) pitches in the seventh inning against the Oakland Athletics at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /

Detroit Tigers starter Michael Fulmer has been exceptional this season. The pitcher was the centerpiece of the Yoenis Cespedes trade. Cespedes was previously the centerpiece of the Rick Porcello deal.

Detroit Tigers fans have seen great success from Michael Fulmer in 2016. Before acquiring Fulmer, the Tigers received excellent production in right field from Yoenis Cespedes. Additionally, two other players who have made an impact as of late for the Tigers have been Alex Wilson and Cameron Maybin.

What do the four players have in common? They were all more or less acquired as a result of former general manager Dave Dombrowski trading starter Rick Porcello to the Boston Red Sox.

Drafted in the first round of the 2007 draft, Porcello was (somewhat) rushed to the Major Leagues by Detroit. He spent just one season with Lakeland in 2008 before making the jump to the Tigers rotation.

Things started off well for the starter. He won 14 games and posted a 3.96 ERA in 2009, finishing third in the Rookie of the Year voting. Porcello would go on to win double digit games in each of his next four seasons with Detroit, but his ERA hovered somewhere between four and five. The 27-year-old didn’t seem to put all together until the 2014 season when he won a career high 15 games while posting a career-low 3.43 ERA. His WAR was a solid 4.0.

In much the same way that he dealt Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson before they became too expensive, Dombrowski flipped Porcello to Boston for Cespedes, Wilson and minor league pitching prospect Gabe Speier.

As a whole, the three players acquired for Porcello helped improve the current Detroit roster in a significant way. Here’s what the Tigers received for Porcello.

Yoenis Cespedes

In just a half of a season in Detroit, Yoenis Cespedes was one of the best all-around players who has played for the Tigers in recent memory. The slugging outfielder hit .293 with 61 RBI, 28 doubles and 18 home runs. Cespedes also put up a 4.0 WAR in the half season he spent in Motown. To top it off, the 30-year-old also earned a Gold Glove for the time spent in Detroit.

Despite the stellar play of Cespedes, the Tigers were unable to stay in contention, and the veteran was dealt at the trade deadline to the New York Mets. In exchange, Detroit received Michael Fulmer and Luis Cessa.

Alex Wilson

Cespedes wasn’t the only impact player acquired in the Porcello swap. Also joining the team was Alex Wilson, who did everything for the Detroit bullpen upon arrival in 2015.

With Wilson and Blaine Hardy proving to be the only stable relief options in the team’s bullpen after Joakim Soria was dealt, the 29-year-old proved to be one of the most valuable players on the entire roster.

In his debut season, Wilson pitched to a 2.19 ERA in 70 innings. He made a start, finished 16 games and snagged a pair of saves.

Things haven’t gone as swimmingly this season, as the former Boston pitcher has a 4.76 ERA in 22.2 innings pitched. However, Wilson owns 3.91 FIP and has largely been reliable save for a few poor outings.

Gabe Speier

Minor league reliever Gabe Speier spent just one season in the Detroit Tigers organization. The former 19^th-round pick threw 44 innings and put up a 2.86 ERA out of the Western Michigan bullpen.

Last offseason, the 21-year-old was dealt (along with ineffective reliever Ian Krol) to the Braves for center fielder Cameron Maybin. Maybin has been on a tear at the plate since debuting for Detroit this season, hitting .375 with 15 runs scored, nine RBI and five stolen bases.

Jun 6, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Michael Fulmer (32) warms up before the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /

The Cespedes Return

In return for Cespedes, the Tigers acquired future (and quite possibly current) ace Michael Fulmer along with fellow pitching prospect Luis Cessa. The two former Mets prospects help rebuild what was a struggling farm system. If Detroit’s minor league system was a cupboard, the cupboard was very much bare.

Fulmer has gone on to establish himself as the team’s ace of the future and has arguably been the Tigers’ best pitcher this season despite Jordan Zimmermann and Justin Verlander pitching extremely well for stretches. All in all, the rookie is 7-1 with a 2.52 ERA in nine starts so far.

In addition to Fulmer, Detroit also brought in Cessa. The pitcher spent even less time in the Tigers’ system than Speier did. During his brief stint with the Detroit organization, Cessa made seven starts for Triple-A Toledo, and pitched to an uninspiring 5.97 ERA. He was flipped to the Yankees along with fellow mid-level prospect Chad Green for Justin Wilson.

Wilson has been one of Detroit’s best relievers in 2016, thanks to 34 strikeouts and an outstanding 1.53 FIP in 25.1 innings pitched. Brad Ausmus’ bullpen hasn’t been perfect this season, but Wilson’s presence has helped bridge the gap to closer Francisco Rodriguez.

May 22, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers right fielder J.D. Martinez (28) celebrates a win over the Tampa Bay Rays with his teammates at Comerica Park. The Tigers defeated the Rays 9-4. Mandatory Credit: Leon Halip-USA TODAY Sports /

In Conclusion

The Detroit Tigers have clearly come away as the winners in the Rick Porcello trade.

Porcello is currently sitting on a 4.56 ERA with the Red Sox, and that’s despite opening this season with a 3.81 number in 82.2 innings pitched. All told, the former Tiger has put together a collective WAR of 1.4 in Boston.

To put that in perspective, Cespedes’ WAR was 4.0 in a half season in Detroit. Fulmer has already posted a 1.9 WAR in just nine starts, while Alex Wilson’s WAR is 1.7. Cameron Maybin’s 0.7 WAR in 88 at-bats this season is higher than the 0.6 number Porcello put together in his inaugural campaign in the American League East.

The fact that Detroit was able to acquire so many quality performers for just one pitcher in Porcello is a testament to the team’s front office and the excellent work they do. It also helps when a number of the players acquired from, and as a result of, the Porcello trade have outperformed the starting pitcher in terms of WAR and other statistics.

Next: Tigers' Top 10 Prospects Following MLB Draft

Additionally, dealing Porcello—and thus avoiding potentially handing him a hefty contract—freed up more long-term salary to pursue the likes of Jordan Zimmermann and Justin Upton.

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