The Mariners are a veteran left-hander Drew Pomeranz they agreed to a minor league deal, as previously reported by Aram Leighton of Just Baseball. The deal likely includes an invitation to the big league Spring Training.
Pomeranz, 36, is a veteran of 11 MLB seasons but has not played in the majors since 2021. Lefty was a solid player who bounced between the rotation and the bullpen early in his career, often. getting strong results in relaxation but empty numbers in circulation. 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 similar for Pomeranz, as he struggled for a swing role with the Giants. He posted a 5.68 ERA with a 5.24 FIP in 77 2/3 innings of work.
Those lackluster numbers led San Francisco to trade him to Milwaukee at that year’s trade deadline, and Milwaukee decided to move Pomeranz to the bullpen full-time, turning him into a top relief arm. The lefty looked like a completely different player down the stretch in 2019, dominating to the tune of a 2.39 ERA with a 2.68 FIP with a 45% strikeout rate. That impressive performance earned Pomeranz significant interest in free agency that winter, and before the 2020 season he signed with the Padres on a four-year, $34MM deal that ran through the 2020-23 seasons. Pomeranz continued to dominate when healthy enough to take the mound for San Diego, with an impressive 1.62 ERA and 2.75 FIP to go along with a 33.7% strikeout rate over the life of that contract.
Unfortunately for Pomeranz, however, he was only able to pitch 44 1/3 innings over the life of the contract due to shoulder, arm, and elbow injuries. After not making the majors for the 2022 or ’23 season, Pomeranz returned to the free agent market and wrestled with the Angels and Dodgers on minor league deals but was unable to crack either LA program. He finally got a big league opportunity with the Giants in May, but spent a few days on the team’s roster before being designated for assignment without making an appearance. In all, he played just eight games in Triple-A for the Dodgers this past season, struggling to a 6.00 ERA but flashing a nice 37.8% strikeout rate.
Those big hits caught the attention of the Mariners, who now regard him as a safety prospect who could play a role in assembling the club’s late innings should he be healthy enough to return to the majors. The Mariners have an amazing bullpen mix that includes Andres Munoz, Matt Brash, Collin Snideragain Gregory Santos but it doesn’t have a true end from left option.
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