Cubs trade with Seattle for reliever Pomeranz
The Cubs, once again trying to rebuild their bullpen on the fly, are acquiring left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz from the Seattle Mariners, sources told The Athletic on Monday.
Pomeranz, who has not pitched in the majors since 2021, had an upward mobility clause in his contract with the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate. The Mariners were required to offer him to every other club. If another team was willing to bring him to the majors, the Mariners had to either promote him or trade him there.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell has a history with Pomeranz, who was acquired by the Milwaukee Brewers at the 2019 trade deadline and struggling at that stage of his career. Counsell, the Brewers’ manager at that time, utilized Pomeranz in a limited role that allowed him to dominate.
Pomeranz put up 45 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings while working almost exclusively out of Milwaukee’s bullpen. He parlayed that success into a four-year, $34 million contract with the San Diego Padres.
When healthy, Pomeranz pitched exceptionally well for the Padres (1.62 ERA), but he wasn’t available for long stretches of that deal, making only 47 appearances. He spent the 2022 season recovering from flexor tendon surgery and underwent a procedure on his left elbow in 2023.
Now 36 years old, Pomeranz was once an All-Star starting pitcher and the No. 5 pick in the 2010 draft. The overall pedigree makes the 6-foot-5 lefty an intriguing option for Chicago’s bullpen, which needs to find effective relievers to cover the middle innings.
The first-place Cubs are 14-10 while playing an extremely difficult opening schedule, working around a bullpen that has a 5.19 ERA, which entered Monday ranked 27th out of 30 major-league teams.
In a small sample this season, Pomeranz had 14 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings as well as six walks and a 4.66 ERA with Triple-A Tacoma.
Pomeranz will likely be added to the active roster on Wednesday, according to a team source, when the Cubs will face the Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field. The Cubs can create a spot on their 40-man roster by placing Justin Steele on the 60-day injured list while he recovers from season-ending surgery on his left elbow. Cubs pitcher Jordan Wicks has already been optioned to Triple-A Iowa, per the team’s transactions page.
While this move for Pomeranz may appear to be a long shot, the Cubs also made a minor trade with the Mariners last May to reinforce their bullpen. The Cubs acquired Tyson Miller after Seattle’s pitching-rich organization designated him for assignment, and Miller wound up going 5-1 with a 2.15 ERA in 49 appearances.
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