Updated: Rick Porcello, Phil Coke agree to deals with Tigers

by Kurt Mensching on Jan 16, 2012 10:38 AM EST in Detroit Tigers News

MLB Trade Rumors is reporting that the Tigers will avoid arbitration with proceedings with right-hander Rick Porcello, as the 23-year-old will sign a $3.1 million contract.

We will have a story ~~this afternoon~~ before it's too late exploring Porcello's and Max Scherzer's possible contracts, because it was pre-scheduled and the Tigers are acting too fast on this one. The woes of blogging.

MLB.com's Jason Beck confirmed this figure on Twitter.

*UPDATE*

The Tigers announced they have also agreed to a one-year deal with left-hander Phil Coke. They did not announce figures.

The figure floated by MLBTR is $1.1m base salary for Coke.

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This is good

Detroit4Lyfe

by Rob Rogacki on Jan 16, 2012 10:58 AM EST reply actions

I really like this

I was looking at Porcello’s stats the other day while writing an article for my blog and despite what more of the baseball world may have thought, he’s been getting better and better each year. his FIP and xFIP have continued to drop while his WAR stayed the same or raised. His HR/9 continued to drop and his K/BB got better every year. You get the point, but I like this contract, and to be honest, I hope they get him signed to a 4 or 5 year deal for $5MM – $6MM a year before they have to pay him the big money.

by Let's do this! on Jan 16, 2012 11:44 AM EST reply actions

According to MLBTR

It’s $1.1 million base with $50k in incentives for Coke. Apparently the incentives are for appearances or STARTS.

by TartanElk on Jan 16, 2012 11:57 AM EST reply actions

poor Leyland

Phil Coke: Let me start Jim
Leyland: no
Phil Coke: Let me start Jim
Leyland: no
Phil Coke: Let me start Jim
Leyland: no
Phil Coke: Let me start Jim
Leyland: no
Phil Coke: Let me start Jim
Leyland: no
Phil Coke: Let me start Jim
Leyland: no
Phil Coke: Let me start Jim
Leyland: no

Bless You Boys.com

by Kurt Mensching on Jan 16, 2012 12:00 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs

You forgot...there were actually 14 "yes's" in 2011, follow by a long series of "no".

The other sports are just sports. Baseball is a love. ~Bryant Gumbel, 1981

by momotigers on Jan 16, 2012 12:03 PM EST up reply actions

It seems it'd be more like this

Phil Coke: Let me start Jim
Leyland: no
(Repeat 30x)
Phil Coke: I bought you 10 cartons of Marlboro’s
Leyland: goddamnsonuvabitch. Start against Sabathia.

by TartanElk on Jan 16, 2012 12:17 PM EST up reply actions

Coke has to use the Bugs Bunny vs Daffy Duck stratergery

Phil Coke: It’s true, I’m a starting pitcher. Would you like to start me now or wait till you get home?.
Leyland: Start him now, start him now!

I'm owner/editor of The Wayne Fontes Experience a deputy editor at Bless You Boys, host the Bless You Boys Podcast and co-host The Knee Jerks podcast.

by BigAl on Jan 16, 2012 1:38 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Funny

This is the funniest post I’ve seen in a long time. Unfortunately, the “under 30” crowd ain’t gonna get it.

Of course you know, this means baseball!

by DoctorDaveT on Jan 16, 2012 1:44 PM EST up reply actions

I'm 22 and I still get it.

by TartanElk on Jan 16, 2012 2:25 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

I get it

"You, on the other hand, make Eeyore look like Rainbow Brite." -johnmoz

"I think of you more as the blue book style essay of sports journalism."-Kurt Mensching

Contributor, Bless You Boys

by David Tokarz on Jan 16, 2012 4:47 PM EST up reply actions

OMFG

Huge smile one my face from that one! Thank you, my brother…. Well, well done!

by timot on Jan 16, 2012 2:10 PM EST up reply actions

I could see them giving Coke a chance to earn the 5th spot in the rotation during Spring

He had some good starts for us, and some bad luck. He also had some bad starts for us as well.

He is more valuable to us if he shows that he can be an effective starter and I am not against him getting one more shot.

by wilsonm24 on Jan 17, 2012 10:19 AM EST up reply actions

I agree, but if that's the case, we need more proven LHP in the bullpen

I don’t like Schlereth as our primary LH guy out of the pen. Perhaps Below makes the team, but I doubt that Leyland would use him as the go-to LHP instead of Schlereth.

There’s hope on the farm in Oliver and Crosby if we don’t need them as SP, but they don’t seem to have any more control than Schlereth right now. I don’t think it will happen, but Wilk seems to be pretty good against lefties and can actually throw strikes. I’d rather see him in the pen if Coke ends up starting.

That being said, I don’t think Coke will get the nod because I believe we’ll sign or trade for a veteran before camp breaks.

The other sports are just sports. Baseball is a love. ~Bryant Gumbel, 1981

by momotigers on Jan 17, 2012 12:21 PM EST up reply actions

I know a lot of people don't like Schlereth

and for the most part they are completely justified. If you look at him against lefties he seems to have pretty decent control. He only walked 8 of the left handed batters he faced last year at a 2.84 BB/9 rate. If he is used primarily as a left handed specialist he is actually pretty effective. The problems come when Leyland keeps him out there against Righties, where he has a 8.75 BB/9.

With the signing of Dotel for the 7th inning spot and Schlereth’s effectiveness against lefties there is room for Coke to make another bid for the starting rotation. I think his leash in Spring Training will be pretty short, but if he does win a spot then he will be given a long leash like last year to lose that spot.

I personally prefer him out of the pen, but wouldn’t be opposed to at least giving the guy a shot and letting the best guy take that 5th spot.

by wilsonm24 on Jan 17, 2012 1:27 PM EST up reply actions

There are many borderline lefty options for the rotation

Below, Crosby, Wilk, Oliver, maybe Smyly before the year is out- all with questions of one sort or another. I like Coke in the pen. I think he will be used in tandem with Dotel as the seventh inning guy. Schlereth is okay as a LOOGY, but no more. If he ever got command, his stuff can be nasty, but I’m not sure he’ll ever get there. And he was a first round pick?

"King of Minutiae"

by Tigerdog1 on Jan 17, 2012 3:21 PM EST up reply actions

Coke's value took a huge hit when he went back to the bullpen

His innings were cut by two thirds, and he went into a class of relievers/ non closers that make a fraction of what starting pitchers make. No wonder he was pissed when they pulled the plug on him starting.

I still feel that DD had his eye on Coke as a starting pitcher when he made the trade. I wouldn’t be surprised if DD didn’t have the same notion about Pauley.

"King of Minutiae"

by Tigerdog1 on Jan 16, 2012 1:28 PM EST reply actions

Pauley was moved to the 'pen after he struggled as a starter

"You, on the other hand, make Eeyore look like Rainbow Brite." -johnmoz

"I think of you more as the blue book style essay of sports journalism."-Kurt Mensching

Contributor, Bless You Boys

by David Tokarz on Jan 16, 2012 4:47 PM EST up reply actions

I keep thinking that Pauley is not on our team anymore

But then I remember that that is Purcey.

At any rate, if Pauley is in our rotation this year I will hunt down DD and slap him across the face. Just once, but very forcefully so that it leaves a sting so he knows not to mess around with this kind of shit.

"I believe in a good kick in the ass. This— I believe. " -- Walker Percy

I tweet about stuff sometimes @jackhitts.

by jhitts08 on Jan 16, 2012 6:05 PM EST up reply actions

Seattle had several relatively equal options for their rotation.

Pauley being one of them. But yeah, he did much better when they moved him to the bullpen. I wish Leyland gave him more work last year (starting with all of Schlereth’s innings) and I think he’d have been much better for us.

"King of Minutiae"

by Tigerdog1 on Jan 16, 2012 7:50 PM EST up reply actions

He's a righty

Schlereth’s a lefty. So he isn’t getting all of Schlereth’s innings.

"You, on the other hand, make Eeyore look like Rainbow Brite." -johnmoz

"I think of you more as the blue book style essay of sports journalism."-Kurt Mensching

Contributor, Bless You Boys

by David Tokarz on Jan 17, 2012 11:21 AM EST up reply actions

I'd give Schlereth's innings to any of about ten pitchers

even if they throw with their middle leg!

"King of Minutiae"

by Tigerdog1 on Jan 17, 2012 12:36 PM EST up reply actions

I believe he'll return to the form he had

when we got him in the trade with Dougie. Pauley’s got very good upside, and he found himself in the part of last season he was with the Mariners. We’ll get something good out of him yet. I do believe this.

by EriePATigersFan on Jan 16, 2012 9:13 PM EST reply actions