The Padres traded James Shields on Saturday, but they aren’t as willing to move their best starter, southpaw Drew Pomeranz, reports Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link). The club would need to be “overwhelmed” to deal the 27-year-old, according to Lin. Pomeranz currently ranks eighth among qualified starters in both ERA (2.22) and strikeouts per nine innings (10.66), and he’s playing this season on a meager $1.35MM salary. Thus, it would likely to take a significant haul to land him and his two-plus remaining years of team control.
More on a few other pitchers:
- The Mariners promoted their top pitching prospect, Double-A reliever Edwin Diaz, and optioned fellow reliever Cody Martin to Triple-A Tacoma to make room, per a team announcement. Diaz, 22, has posted a sterling 2.21 ERA, 11.95 K/9 and 1.55 BB/9 in 40 2/3 innings this year. Most of those numbers came as a starter, but the Mariners decided to move Diaz to the bullpen early last month because they feel his ceiling as a reliever is higher. Diaz has a high-90s fastball out of the ’pen and has dominated in relief this season, writes The Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish. He’ll have a chance to earn a spot with the Mariners in the wake of veteran Joel Peralta’s designation for assignment earlier this week.
- Before lefty Brian Duensing agreed to a minor league deal with the Orioles last month, the Giants and Royals also pushed for his services, he told Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (Twitter link). Duensing became a free agent when he opted out of his contract with Kansas City in mid-May; as evidenced by Kansas City’s desire to re-sign Duensing, the defending World Series champions were obviously sorry to see him go.
- The Tigers’ Shane Greene made three of his four early season appearances as a starter before landing on the disabled list April 24 with a blister on his throwing hand. The right-hander is healthy again, but he will now come out of the bullpen, manager Brad Ausmus said (via Brendan Savage of MLive.com). “He’ll work out of the pen, probably sixth-seventh innings, right around there,” Ausmus stated. “Maybe eighth depending on who needs rest, who’s coming up, etc. He can work a couple innings. Availability will come into play but he can definitely work a couple of innings.” Prior to his injury, Greene put up a 6.28 ERA, 6.91 K/9 and 5.65 BB/9 in 14 1/3 innings. He worked almost exclusively as a starter last season (16 of 18 appearances), though his run prevention was even worse (6.88 ERA).
Pomeranz’s value is at an all-time high and the market is completely starved for pitching, especially cheap, young pitching. If I’m the Padres, I don’t see why you’d keep Pomeranz when you can probably get a very nice package for him. He’s likely only going to get worse from here, especially with that 4.3 BB/9.
As a Rockies fan, I have to agree with you. Pomeranz has a lot of talent, but he has never been able to put it all together for a sustained time period. With the depressed market, the Padres can probably get a lot more than Pomeranz is really worth. I mean they just got him for Yonder Alonso this off season so its not like he cost them a lot or anything.
Having a good, young, affordable, controllable, left handed starter might be a nice thing for the Padres to have next year, and the year after. Minor league prospects are no sure thing.
Them as a last place team next year is a sure thing though. So keeping their best trade piece would be a mistake.
Men. If the Padres believe he can be a consistent piece of the rotation, his value is only going to go up.
Other teams are aware of his history, it’s not like they’re going to give a huge package thinking he’s no-doubt the pitcher he’s been so far this year. There is risk either way.
No his trade value will go down as he gets closer and closer to free agency. The Padres will not contend before he is a free agent so keeping him is useless.
His trade value will go up if he keeps up his great pitching over the course of a season and throws 180+ innings.
It would more than outweigh the half a season of control they’d not get. He has a injury history so staying healthy would be a high risk/high reward thing, and the bigger the sample is the more teams will buy in. Not to mention next years FA SP class is beyond awful, worst in a long time. But it would be a risk because of injury history more than anything. They should seriously consider trading him for a good return.
the Padres are in no position to be acting like they DONT need more prospects. So I tend to think that they dont need to be “overwhelmed”, necessarily. But Preller aint giving up Pomeranz, without it ‘hurting’ the other team, for lack of a better word.
more realistically, I dont think they should trade him. Cashner is outta here, come the trade deadline, if not before then…and they arent going to ask for much, because too much time has gone by, where he hasnt shown much. Teams will use his mediocrity as leverage in trade talks. He’s worth a couple of solid AA or AAA prospect, with a bit of upside…maybe one prospect.
Ross has hurt his value, with his injury. His little brother has lapped him, in terms of immediate impact talent. He may very well bounce back..so Preller’s going to need a 1-2 at the top, now that Shields is gone. And I think Pomeranz/Ross will due for the time being. But for once, Id like the Padres to freaking go out, and find a freaking veteran starter, who has freaking been there and done it, without there being this feeling that he could be traded, 15 min after getting to San Diego.,
Why, so they can win 72 games instead of 70? There’s no point to keep anyone with value because this team is going nowhere anytime soon
In regards to Pomeranz it’s pretty simple.. Padres will trade him but offers better be good. If his Era is around 2 in July a team might pay it.
I was split on whether to trade pomeranz or not as both sides of the of the arguement make sense. The more I think about it the more I say we trade him. Striking while the iron is hot can really benifit the Padres when they need as many good prospects as they can get. Pomeranz also has had shoulder issues so you’re wondering when that problem will rise again…
The starting pitching next offseason is weak. The starting pitching at this deadline is weak. They’re only posturing got leverage. Being 27 and cost controlled is awesome. BUT they stink and can get 2 good prospects. Maybe 3 if he throws really well his next few, and they find the 1 team that will overpay.