Right-handed starting pitcher Rick Porcello hadn't thrown in the majors since 2020, but he confirmed Monday morning on Boston's WEEI (via MLB Trade Rumors) that he is officially retired.
Though Porcello's performance his last two seasons (5.55 ERA, 1.42 WHIP in 44 starts combined) didn't bode well for his chances to stick long-term in a rotation in the coming years, he surely could have found work if he was looking for it. After all, he was only 31 years old in 2020 and we've seen older pitchers with worse track records hang around.
Porcello, now 33, made over $128 million in his MLB career after being selected in the first round out of high school by the Tigers in 2007. He debuted for the Tigers at age 20 in April of 2009, finishing third in AL Rookie of the Year voting that season. He would spend six years with the Tigers, five with the Red Sox and one with the Mets.
Porcello's career season came in 2016, when he was 22-4 with a 3.15 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.01 WHIP and 189 strikeouts against 32 walks in 223 innings. He posted 4.7 WAR. He won the Cy Young that season despite Justin Verlander getting 14 first-place votes compared to Porcello's eight.
The other career highlight for Porcello is being part of the rotation for the 2018 Red Sox, who won 108 games and never faced elimination while winning the World Series. He had a 3.52 ERA in 15 1/3 innings that postseason, which included a 4 2/3 innings outing in Game 3 of the World Series in which he gave up just one run on three hits while striking out five.
Porcello retires with a 150-125 record, 4.40 ERA (99 ERA+) and 1.32 WHIP in 12 MLB seasons. He amassed 1,561 strikeouts in 2,096 1/3 innings. Perhaps his biggest calling card was avoiding injury. Porcello was a trooper in taking the mound every fifth day throughout his career. He made at least 27 starts every single season -- going at least 31 times eight years out of 11 -- until his last and that was the 60-game 2020. He made his 12 starts that year, too.
