So I was reading an article on ESPN.com about teams watching innings with young pitchers (Gerritt Cole, Shelby Miller, Julio Teheran) and it got me thinking that Smyly's role this year has been great for the fact that fans won't have to worry about shutting down his arm in October. Last year, between AAA, Detroit, and postseason he pitched a very manageable 121 innings. This year he's projected to pitch about 90, plus whatever he pitches in the postseason.
I think this is all very good for a younger pitcher, but now I'm trying to figure out when the team will make the transition with him.
Sanchez and Verlander are Tigers for a long time. Fister isn't eligible for free agency for a few years, but is for arbitration. Old Blue Eye is the next free agent and will be a tough call because while he's establishing himself as the ace of the staff, that will also likely make him the most expensive pitcher in team history, if Ilitch decides to re-sign him. Porcello seems like the most likely to lose his place in the rotation, but has been stellar his past 5 starts and is likely to do much better with Iglesias and Perez/Santiago behind him up the middle.
Smyly could have a career that puts him among the best set-up guys in the game for a decade, and while that's valuable it seems somewhat like a waste considering what he could do over 210 innings instead.

So what do you think the likely future holds for the Tigers rotation and specific bullpen roles?