Dbackszone.com | Arizona Diamondbacks News, diamondbacks Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div>It's the classic phenom's tale, full of seduction and risk. But Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski does not sound ready to fight the growing desire of manager Jim Leyland to include prized right-hander Rick Porcello on the team's Opening Day roster.</div><p></p><div class="storyPoll"></div><p>Opening Day is more than three weeks away, but after talking with Dombrowski on Wednesday, I'm convinced that Porcello will make the team if he continues to outpitch high-priced lefties Dontrelle Willis and Nate Robertson, as well as everyone else wearing the Old English "D."<p>Porcello throws a 93- to 95-mph sinker, compelling scouts to compare him to Kevin Brown and Brandon Webb. Porcello looms as a potential difference-maker in the evenly matched American League Central. Porcello could be a drawing card in perhaps the nation's most economically ravaged city.<p>Never mind that Porcello is 20, and that he has pitched only 125 innings in the minors, none above Class A. Leyland, coming off a last-place finish, is in the final year of his contract. Dombrowski has built a bloated payroll of nearly $130 million. Both need to win, so the standard manager-GM conflict over the future of a prized prospect might not apply.<p>Such motivation, mixed with temptation, is a dangerous baseball brew.<p>Leyland and Dombrowski know their players better than anyone else, but if they rush Porcello — rush him after awarding him a $7 million contract out of high school, rush him after anointing him as the future of their franchise — they had better be right.<p>For their own sake. And for the Tigers'.<p>If Porcello succeeds, he could help resurrect the Tigers, not only saving Leyland, but also easing the pressure on Dombrowski, who is signed through 2011. But if Porcello falters — or worse, gets injured — the entire Tigers' universe might crumble.<p>The safe move would be to start Porcello at Class AA, allow him to dominate that level and then jump him to Class AAA or the majors. But Jeremy Bonderman has been dealing with shoulder stiffness while coming off surgery to relieve a circulatory condition. Willis and Robertson, owed a combined $39 million in the next two seasons, are pitching terribly. Justin Verlander, the Tigers' previous phenom, had a 4.84 ERA last season.<div class="in_info_box"><h3>MLB Spring Training</h3><div class="in_info_box_content"><p>Dombrowski said he is not opposed to a young pitcher completing his development in the majors; the major-league pitching coach, in this case Rick Knapp, should be, by definition, the best instructor in the system.<p>One concern with Porcello is that he averaged a mere 5.2 strikeouts per nine innings at Class A Lakeland last season; CC Sabathia averaged 10.4 in nearly twice as many minor-league innings when he made the Indians' Opening Day rotation at age 20.<p>Another concern is that Porcello was on a 75-pitch limit at Lakeland, though he reached 80 at times. Porcello naturally would progress to a 100- or 110-pitch limit whether he was in the majors or minors, Dombrowski said. The Tigers could back him up with a pitcher such as Zach Miner, the way the Cubs backed up Rich Harden last season with Chad Gaudin.<p>Even then, Porcello's innings limit likely would be in the 155 to 160 range, assuming he was restricted to the 25 percent increase preferred by most clubs. The optimal number might be even less; pitching in the American League is far more stressful than pitching in the Florida State League.<p>"That's something we can watch later on in the year, and will watch later on in the year," Dombrowski said. "It's something we'll be careful about, no matter what level he pitches at.<p>"Sometimes you can get so cautious, you tie your hands and prevent yourself from having the best club. If you tie your hands in March from what might take place in August, maybe August doesn't turn out to be very important for you. But it might be real important if you play the right guys."<p>The approach worked for the Tigers when they promoted Verlander and Joel Zumaya in 2006 and advanced to the World Series; Verlander, though, was a college pitcher who was three years older than Porcello is now, and Zumaya had pitched nearly 400 innings in the minors. The Tigers were not as successful when they rushed outfielder Cameron Maybin at age 20 in 2007.<div class="in_info_box whats_hot_box"><div class="in_info_box_content whats_hot_box_content"><h4 class="gray_dots">Must-read:</h4><ul><li>Hill: Do Celts seek rest or home-court?</li><li>

It's the classic phenom's tale, full of seduction and risk. But Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski does not sound ready to fight the growing desire of manager Jim Leyland to include prized right-hander Rick Porcello on the team's Opening Day roster.

Opening Day is more than three weeks away, but after talking with Dombrowski on Wednesday, I'm convinced that Porcello will make the team if he continues to outpitch high-priced lefties Dontrelle Willis and Nate Robertson, as well as everyone else wearing the Old English "D."

Porcello throws a 93- to 95-mph sinker, compelling scouts to compare him to Kevin Brown and Brandon Webb. Porcello looms as a potential difference-maker in the evenly matched American League Central. Porcello could be a drawing card in perhaps the nation's most economically ravaged city.

Never mind that Porcello is 20, and that he has pitched only 125 innings in the minors, none above Class A. Leyland, coming off a last-place finish, is in the final year of his contract. Dombrowski has built a bloated payroll of nearly $130 million. Both need to win, so the standard manager-GM conflict over the future of a prized prospect might not apply.

Such motivation, mixed with temptation, is a dangerous baseball brew.

Leyland and Dombrowski know their players better than anyone else, but if they rush Porcello — rush him after awarding him a $7 million contract out of high school, rush him after anointing him as the future of their franchise — they had better be right.

For their own sake. And for the Tigers'.

If Porcello succeeds, he could help resurrect the Tigers, not only saving Leyland, but also easing the pressure on Dombrowski, who is signed through 2011. But if Porcello falters — or worse, gets injured — the entire Tigers' universe might crumble.

The safe move would be to start Porcello at Class AA, allow him to dominate that level and then jump him to Class AAA or the majors. But Jeremy Bonderman has been dealing with shoulder stiffness while coming off surgery to relieve a circulatory condition. Willis and Robertson, owed a combined $39 million in the next two seasons, are pitching terribly. Justin Verlander, the Tigers' previous phenom, had a 4.84 ERA last season.

MLB Spring Training

Dombrowski said he is not opposed to a young pitcher completing his development in the majors; the major-league pitching coach, in this case Rick Knapp, should be, by definition, the best instructor in the system.

One concern with Porcello is that he averaged a mere 5.2 strikeouts per nine innings at Class A Lakeland last season; CC Sabathia averaged 10.4 in nearly twice as many minor-league innings when he made the Indians' Opening Day rotation at age 20.

Another concern is that Porcello was on a 75-pitch limit at Lakeland, though he reached 80 at times. Porcello naturally would progress to a 100- or 110-pitch limit whether he was in the majors or minors, Dombrowski said. The Tigers could back him up with a pitcher such as Zach Miner, the way the Cubs backed up Rich Harden last season with Chad Gaudin.

Even then, Porcello's innings limit likely would be in the 155 to 160 range, assuming he was restricted to the 25 percent increase preferred by most clubs. The optimal number might be even less; pitching in the American League is far more stressful than pitching in the Florida State League.

"That's something we can watch later on in the year, and will watch later on in the year," Dombrowski said. "It's something we'll be careful about, no matter what level he pitches at.

"Sometimes you can get so cautious, you tie your hands and prevent yourself from having the best club. If you tie your hands in March from what might take place in August, maybe August doesn't turn out to be very important for you. But it might be real important if you play the right guys."

The approach worked for the Tigers when they promoted Verlander and Joel Zumaya in 2006 and advanced to the World Series; Verlander, though, was a college pitcher who was three years older than Porcello is now, and Zumaya had pitched nearly 400 innings in the minors. The Tigers were not as successful when they rushed outfielder Cameron Maybin at age 20 in 2007.

Must-read:

Hill: Do Celts seek rest or home-court?

Author:Fox Sports
Author's Website:http://www.foxsports.com
Added: March 12, 2009

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