The Los Angeles Dodgers have relied heavily on their bullpen throughout the first month of the regular season as they have led the league in innings pitched by relievers for a significant stretch.
Poor performance, injuries and being asked to fill in as a sixth starter are all contributing factors to the Dodgers bullpen not only shouldering a heavy load but pitching to mixed results.
The Dodgers have been extremely active on the transaction front, as their constant need for fresh arms has caused them to cycle through multiple relievers in their system. However, one option they didn’t appear to potentially call on was Drew Pomeranz as he opted out of his Minor League contract with the Dodgers in order to become a free agent.
Pomeranz’s time on the open market was short-lived as re-signed with the Dodgers on another Minor League contract, according to Oklahoma City Baseball Club communications director Alex Freedman:
Pomeranz has signed a new minors deal with the Dodgers. He'll remain in OKC for now. https://t.co/dV9BcKt78x
— Alex Freedman (@azfreedman) April 20, 2024
The 35-year-old signed his Minor League deal with the Dodgers on March 29. That came after Pomeranz was released by the Los Angeles Angels on March 24.
His time with Triple-A Oklahoma City thus far has been a mixed bag as Pomeranz has a 10.80 ERA but did rack up seven strikeouts across five innings of work.
Pomeranz found a lot of late success with the San Diego Padres during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He was enjoying a strong year in 2021 with a 1.75 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 25.2 innings before it prematurely ended due to a torn flexor tendon. Pomeranz has not pitched in the Majors since.
Dodgers previously lost veteran pitcher
Pomeranz became the second left-handed relief pitcher to opt out of his deal with the Dodgers. Justin Wilson elected to become a free agent during Spring Training in order to sign a contract with the Cincinnati Reds.
Wilson pitched well during Cactus League play but that hasn’t translated to the regular season as he holds a 5.79 ERA in limited action.
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