Rick Porcello rumors: Mariners, Orioles, Padres

The pursuit of Tigers right-hander Rick Porcello has started to pick up steam, as the Seattle Mariners, Baltimore Orioles, and San Diego Padres have all contacted Detroit about a trade for the young pitcher, reports Jon Morosi of FOX Sports:

The Mariners, Orioles and Padres have contacted the Tigers about trading for right-hander Rick Porcello, according to major-league sources. It’s believed that Seattle and Baltimore are more actively interested than San Diego at this point.

Detroit has six starters after re-signing Anibal Sanchez, and Tigers officials are willing to consider offers for Porcello.

The Tigers are on the lookout for a late-inning bullpen arm and a left fielder, both of which Porcello could help the team net in a trade. The club has already had talks with the Pittsburgh Pirates about a swap of Porcello for veteran right-hander Joel Hanrahan, but the Tigers are hesitant to part with the young right-hander for just a reliever.

Of the interested teams, only the Padres really have an outfielder to spare, but all have a wealth of young relievers that could pique Detroit's interest.

The almost 24-year-old Porcello has been installed in the back-end of the Tigers' rotation for the last four seasons. The right-hander has posted a 4.55 ERA and 5.0 K/9 rate in those four years, averaging 30 starts and 173 innings per season.