Drew Pomeranz was released from his Minor League contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, and on Friday, it was announced that he is signing a Major League deal with the San Francisco Giants.
Pomeranz agreed to a Minor League deal with the Dodgers in the offseason but never made it to the big league club before being released.
Pomeranz has not pitched in the Majors since 2021 when he was with the San Diego Padres. The one-time All-Star spent years as a starter before transitioning to a quality reliever. An injury in 2022 led him to a long return process that is yet to see him make it back to the Majors.
He spent the last two seasons bouncing within the Padres organization before being granted free agency, singing with and being immediately released from the L.A. Angels and finishing up with the Dodgers. He began the 2024 season with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
With OKC, Pomeranz pitched nine innings, giving up six earned runs on nine hits. However, he had 14 strikeouts compared with only one walk, clearly giving the Giants hope that he is ready to return to the Majors after a near three-year hiatus.
The Giants are in need of bullpen assistance from anywhere, as they have statistically one of the worst relief crews in the Majors this season. They rank 25th in ERA, 22nd in WHIP and have allowed the sixth-most home runs of any bullpen.
While Pomeranz is not an immediate fix, it’s a massive win for the veteran southpaw to find a home where can try to make an impact.
Dave Roberts praises Dodgers coaches for bullpen success
The Dodgers have the third best bullpen ERA in the Majors this season. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts spoke about who he believes should get the credit for this success and what it means for the organization moving forward.
“Well, I think it’s plug and play because it’s working,” Roberts said. “It takes a lot of work as far as the front office detecting certain guys on the outside. Also player development having guys internally that we’ve used, and plugged in guys that have been optioned, guys that unfortunately we’ve had to DFA.
“And for me, it’s the pitching guys, the run prevention guys. They’ve allowed for an environment for these guys to thrive. And so from Mark (Prior), to Danny (Lehman), to Bardo (Josh Bard), to Connor (McGuinness), all those guys are hugely impactful for every single one of these guys. And then you look at the players themselves, it’s their job to go out there and do their job, and they’ve done a fantastic job of that.”
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