"There’s a pretty established track record that most pitchers need to climb each rung of the ladder as part of the developmental process. It’s pretty rare to see a pitcher successfully jump from High-A to the majors, less so when he’s as young as Porcello. Granted, Porcello is a rare talent, which might make it possible.

But that he’s such a rare talent also works against the notion of jumping him up. It’s not as if he’s some fungible pitching prospect that can be cast aside if it doesn’t work out. Not only is it remarkably hard to find someone with his talent, they’ve also invested a ton in him up front. Isn’t it worth the wait until he’s fully ready? I know that there’s a lot of pressure to win right now, but if I’m the Tigers, I’d rather he have Jack Morris’ career, and not Mark Fidyrich’s career (and yes, I know that’s an extreme example – there’s plenty of data points in between)."