Free agent Red Sox pitcher and 2018 World Series champion Drew Pomeranz has reportedly signed a one-year deal with the San Francisco Giants.
After three years in Boston, left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz will move onto his fifth major league ball club for the upcoming 2019 season. The news doesn’t come as much of a surprise as it never looked increasingly likely that the Red Sox would be bringing back the 2016 All-Star.
After an unsatisfactory season for Pomeranz in 2018, San Francisco will bring a new opportunity for the 30-year-old to rediscover the form that he showed in his first two seasons in Beantown. Pomeranz’s tenure in Boston showed that he is a capable big league pitcher and he was an important aspect to their pitching in 2016 and 2017, moving on with a ring to show for his time here.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweeted on Wednesday morning that Pomeranz and the Giants had agreed to a one-year $1.5m deal that can increase based on incentives:
Pomeranz gets $1.5M and can max out at $5M with incentives, per source. https://t.co/Qf7nKLFj3v
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 23, 2019
This appears to be a very low-risk/high-reward deal for the rebuilding Giants. The deal gives Pomeranz motivation to be able to earn more salary if he performs to a better standard. He’ll join an efficient pitching staff with the likes of Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto as their team looks to improve on a year which saw them finish 73-89.
For Pomeranz, he will hope to rediscover some of the form that saw him go 17-6 for the Red Sox in the 2017 season. Achieving an ERA of below 4.00 in four of his major league seasons, Pomeranz has shown he can be more than an effective pitcher.
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Although this has only been shown at times over an up and down career. With the right mentality which often comes from new surroundings, there’s a chance he can find his feet again in San Francisco. His varied breaking ball arsenal will be of use to San Francisco, especially the knuckle curve which has troubled plenty of his opponents in the past.
Not pitching in the exceptional 2018 postseason campaign for the Red Sox, Pomeranz still has playoff experience. The lefty pitched in two games in the 2016 ALDS and one game in the 2017 ALDS, both series the Red Sox would go on to lose. Whilst Pomeranz didn’t have the best of times, giving up six runs over 5.2 innings of postseason play.
However, this sample size doesn’t mean he can’t be effective at vital times. He’s had experience playing out of the bullpen and plenty of chances to start games and can be an important left-handed asset to have.
Pomeranz featured in 72 regular season games for the Red Sox and finishes his time in Boston with a 22-17 record. The 2017 season, which saw him strike out 174 opponents, on a 3.32 ERA remains his best season to date.
Just turning 30, a change of environment could be what Pomeranz needs now to revitalize his career after a poor 2018. Boston remains on the search for bullpen help for the upcoming season, as they look to bolster their pitching staff and retain the title.