First reported by Ken Rosenthal, the Boston Red Sox and Drew Pomeranz have agreed to a one-year deal worth $4.45 million.
Of the remaining arbitration cases, the Red Sox and Pomeranz had the largest gap between team and player filings. Pomeranz originally asked for $5.7 million after a breakout season split between the Padres and Red Sox, while Boston came in at $3.6 million. Their agreed figure is below the midpoint of their filings, which would have been $4.65 million.
It’s somewhat surprising that the two were able to come to an agreement and avoid arbitration, as they seemed to be locked in a stalemate prior to this development.
Pomeranz came in much higher than the agreed upon figure, but he has to be satisfied with a $3.1 million raise over his salary from last season. As has been well documented by those covering the Red Sox, Pomeranz broke out during the first half with the Padres – pitching to a 2.47 ERA over 102 innings pitched. Despite making 13 starts with the Red Sox, he managed a disappointing 4.59 ERA with 14 home runs allowed. If the two sides had gone to arbitration, the Red Sox would have had a much stronger case to make.
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It’s worth noting that he dealt with arm issues after moving to Boston, likely a result of the physical toll his body took during his first full season as a starter. It would not have affected the arbitration case but will be relevant as he moves forward with his career as a member of the Red Sox. Only days ago did Pomeranz admit to the Providence Journal that he had battled discomfort that wound up requiring a stem cell injection in his pitching elbow.
Heading into Spring Training, the lefty will be battling with Eduardo Rodriguez and Steven Wright for one of the two spots remaining in the team’s rotation. While his short time in a Red Sox uniform has been a disappointment thus far, fans should be optimistic moving forward.
Much of his struggles came as a result of location, in which he began leaving a significant amount of fastballs over the heart of the plate. That loss of control inevitably impacted his 18.5% HR/FB rate in the last two months of the season, a 7.4% increase over his previous work. Furthermore, Pomeranz is no stranger to fighting for a position out of camp, he’s been forced to compete while a member of the Padres and Athletics. He seems to thrive under the pressure which should inspire optimism in his ability to rebound in 2017.
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Seemingly healthy with a newly signed contract, Drew Pomeranz will have the opportunity to win over his numerous critics in Boston heading into the regular season. If he’s able to regain his form and pitch to the level he had in San Diego, the Red Sox’ rotation could go from great to untouchable.