Rick Porcello

[Yankees]

I'm glad I got the chance to watch him throw last night - but it was quite apparent that he's completely out of his league right now - that's not an insult for a 20 year old though.

He clearly does not have command of his changeup or breaking ball - and relys on the movement of his two-seamer to induce weak contact - he's not a strikeout pitcher by any stretch of the imagination.

Talking with JP last night, we both agreed that in the minors, it's easy for the pitching coach to say, "Ok, tonight go and throw only changeups for the next two innings," and the result is minimal. You just can't do that in the pros.

Against a good hitting, patient team like the Yanks, they were all over the two-seamer the second time through the lineup. The worst part about it was that when he got Swisher 3-2, he threw a really nice changeup on the outside corner - and Swish took it 20 feet over the fence the opposite way.

What good is this going to do the kid? You always wonder why teams take pitchers one step at a time, or don't more aggressively promote them through the minors - and then you are always reminded painfully when you see the results from the Porcello's. The kid's on pace to throw 44 homers this year - relying on a two-seamer that gains depth as it runs through the strike zone!

Sometimes I'm glad I'm not a real GM. When it comes to dealing with real people, necessary results, and real future repurcussions, these decisions must be f'ing brutal.