The Mariners and veteran left-hander Drew Pomeranz are in agreement on a minor league deal, as previously reported by Aram Leighton of Just Baseball. The deal presumably includes an invite to major league Spring Training.
Pomeranz, 36, is a veteran of 11 MLB seasons but hasn’t throw a pitch in the majors since 2021. The lefty was generally a solid player who swung between the back of the rotation and bullpen in the early part of his career, often garnering solid results in relief but lackluster numbers in the rotation. Across the first eight seasons of his MLB career, Pomeranz pitched to a 3.92 ERA (110 ERA+) with a 4.14 FIP in 710 innings of work split between 122 starts and 74 relief appearances. The start of the 2019 season was more of the same for Pomeranz, as he struggled in a swing role with the Giants. He posted a 5.68 ERA ERA with a 5.24 FIP in 77 2/3 innings of work.
Those lackluster numbers led San Francisco to deal the lefty to Milwaukee at that year’s trade deadline, and Milwaukee decided to move Pomeranz to the bullpen full-time, converting him into a high leverage relief arm. The lefty looked like a totally different player down the stretch in 2019, dominating to the tune of a 2.39 ERA with a 2.68 FIP with an eye-popping 45% strikeout rate. That stellar performance earned Pomeranz plenty of interest in free agency that winter, and prior to the 2020 season he signed with the Padres on a four-year deal worth $34MM that ran through the 2020-23 seasons. Pomeranz continued to dominate when healthy enough to take the mound for San Diego, with an incredible 1.62 ERA and 2.75 FIP to go with a 33.7% strikeout rate during the life of that contract.
Unfortunately for Pomeranz, however, he managed just 44 1/3 innings of work over the life of the contract due to shoulder, forearm, and elbow injuries. After not pitching in the majors during the 2022 or ’23 seasons, Pomeranz returned to the free agent market and caught on with the Angels and Dodgers on minor league deals but was unable to crack either L.A. roster. Eventually he earned a big league opportunity with the Giants in May, but lasted just a few days on the club’s roster before being designated for assignment without making an appearance. In total, he made just eight appearances at Triple-A for the Dodgers this past season, struggling to a 6.00 ERA but flashing an excellent 37.8% strikeout rate.
That big strikeout stuff clearly caught the attention of the Mariners, who have now picked him up as a no-risk flier who could still contribute to the club’s late-inning mix if he can finally get healthy enough to make it back to the majors. The Mariners have an impressive bullpen mix that includes Andres Munoz, Matt Brash, Collin Snider, and Gregory Santos but lacks a true back-end option from the left-hand side.
Jfc finally
Next reclamation project for our bullpen?
Nothing move for the idiots..
What does this even mean?
I think he wanted the mariners to sign Andy Dirks to a minor league deal.
I know it’s frustrating watching other teams make bigger moves while Seattle struggles to fill their glaring holes, but they need pitching depth. It’s not exciting, but it’s vital.
Enough with the pitching! Dipoto is soooo hung up on it! They need bats before all that is left is la stella Wong and pollack…We need to get Coby Mayo or Acuna then go from there…Santana to pair with Raley and get the Korean for second if you don’t get Acuna
It’s not an either or.
Sure it is the Mets and the Orioles are interested in Castillo
Go back to MLB The Show and build the team you want there.
Someone has to the clowns in charge of the Mariners can’t build a championship team..I could do it better
Says the idiot in chief
Pomerantz ? Tanaka? What year is this.
Merry Christmas Tommy B. and have a safe and happy 2015
Cubs are still looking to see if they trade for Tyson from the Padres. Still early days Gwynning!
Where have you gone, Ross Detwiler?
Worth a try but he probably doesn’t have much left
We’re cooking now M’s fans!!!
I knew somebody would kick the tires… and why not! Could be some gas in the tank.
Unless he has some janitorial skills, he is useless in a major league clubhouse, or a minor league clubhouse for that matter.
AJ Preller deserved to be fired just for that contract…
Maybe he makes a killer grilled cheese?
Did he injure himself signing the contract?
Set the parade route, babyyyyyyy!
Are there any Seattle fans out there? Does this really make you happy?
I’m a Seattle fan it doesn’t make me anything. Depth piece. Every team has them.
The route through Dealey Plaza? What? Too soon?
Pomeranz is a lefty… I don’t think they’ll let him play 2nd or 3rd.
I like this move fine.
They just signed Neftali Feliz too. Those are minor league depth signings. There’s a little chance he could pitch his way on to the team I guess.
Neftali Feliz Navidad to you, too!
Exactly. Worst case scenario, they pay basically nothing to have a guy with playoff experience and 15 years in the league to be around your triple a guys. They could also be considering him in a coaching role if he’s done with pitching like they did with Negron.
Have to wonder if he would have had a better career if he’d come up with Cleveland, which seems to be able to develop pitchers. Rather than being traded to the Rockies where he could never find success.
M’s haven’t had a good lefty in the pen since like Rhodes it feels like. Saucedo sucks.
tiny pedantic correction that doesn’t matter: giants put pomeranz in the bullpen for 4 appearances is 2019 before the deadline and he was dealing, which is the only reason they managed an actual return for him
Baseball would be meaningless without tiny pedantic corrections!
Jayson Stark has some competition!
Potentially solves two issues: a LH reliever (meh) and a Crash Davis starter at Tacoma – half pitcher, half coach.
Who cares, it’s a flier to see if we can fix him… if it works out fine flip him for a Minor leaguer or throw him to the wayside…