Rick Porcello to Red Sox: Latest Trade Details, Reaction and Analysis

One thing the Detroit Tigers can never be accused of is complacency, even as they have been so successful over the years. The latest move by general manager Dave Dombrowski involved trading right-handed pitcher Rick Porcello. Dombrowski sent Porcello to the Boston Red Sox for outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and a minor leaguer. 

C.J. Nitkowski of Fox Sports first reported the news:

"

Told Cespedes to Detroit, Porcello to Boston is done.

— CJ Nitkowski (@CJNitkowski) December 11, 2014"

Jon Morosi of Fox Sports added more details on the deal in confirming the report:

This was an interesting time for the Tigers to trade Porcello, who was still the youngest projected starting pitcher in Detroit's rotation for next season at 25 years old. He also had his best season in every statistical measure in 2014. 

A first-round pick in 2007, Porcello tied a career high with 31 starts and set personal bests in innings pitched (204.2), WHIP (1.231), ERA (3.43) and shutouts (three) last season, per Baseball-Reference.com.

According to FanGraphs' wins above replacement, the right-hander has tallied 6.3 since 2013. It's more than Gio Gonzalez (6.2), Doug Fister (5.9) and Homer Bailey (5.0) over the same stretch. 

As is often the case in these scenarios, money was a possible factor. The Tigers have an expensive roster already, with Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander, Ian Kinsler and Anibal Sanchez will account for $82 million in 2015, per Cot's Baseball Contracts.

That payroll doesn't even include the money Victor Martinez will get after signing a four-year, $68 million extension in November. 

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported on December 4 that the Tigers were "drawing strong interest" in Porcello and David Price in potential trades:

As Rosenthal also noted on Twitter, citing arbitration projections from MLBTradeRumors.com, Porcello could be looking at a 2015 salary over $12 million in his final season before free agency:

The Tigers were faced with several difficult choices this offseason. They answered one of them quickly by re-signing Martinez, but an expanding payroll and decisions about Porcello, Price and free agent Max Scherzer left the front office with few options. 

Ultimately, with a team on the back end of its championship window, Porcello's track record and overall ability isn't as strong as Price. The Tigers don't have the same rotation depth without the young right-hander, but there is a limit to how high a payroll can climb before tough decisions have to be made. 

If you want to talk sports, hit me up on Twitter.