After being designated for assignment by the Angels, veteran Drew Pomeranz could return to the North Side.
An old friend could land back with the Chicago Cubs.
Former Cubs pitcher Drew Pomeranz was recently designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Angels. Pomeranz is in the midst of a career-worst season on the mound, and the Angels decided to cut ties with the veteran reliever.
Los Angeles now has seven days to either trade him away, place him on waivers, or release him altogether.
That’s where the Cubs could come into play.
The North Siders are obviously very familiar with Pomeranz from his time in Chicago in 2025. The Cubs traded for the veteran left-hander at the start of last season and helped him turn back the clock.
Pomeranz finished with a 2.17 ERA and 57 strikeouts across 49 ⅔ innings pitched. His expected ERA (3.48), expected batting average against (.215), and strikeout rate (28.1%) all ranked in the top 30%, and he emerged as a high-leverage reliever for the Cubs.
However, things have been different for the 37-year-old this year. He has been nowhere near as dominant on the mound. He had a 5.01 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 23 ⅓ innings pitched before being designated for assignment on Monday.
It has been a rough start to the year for Pomeranz. His swing-and-miss stuff (21.4%) is a bit down from a season ago (24.5%), and his 14.8% strikeout rate currently places him in the 5th percentile. Those two metrics have made the veteran an inconsistent bullpen arm.
While Pomeranz hasn’t looked like that same reliever from last season, the Cubs should make a move for the recently DFA’d pitcher. They already fixed him once, and it wouldn’t cost them much to bring him back.
Pomeranz was fantastic in his time in the Windy City last year. He totaled 14 holds and two saves in his 57 appearances and was untouchable against left-handed hitters. Opposing lefties slashed just .176/.238/.203 with two doubles and 28 strikeouts against the veteran.
Given Caleb Thielbar’s recent struggles on the mound, the Cubs could potentially use another lefty in their bullpen. Thielbar has a current 4.26 ERA on the season and has allowed runs in three of his last six appearances.
There’s a chance that the best of Pomeranz is in the past. His age might finally be catching up to him, and his early-season metrics don’t offer much silver lining.
For a team like the Cubs, though, he’s worth picking up.
