The Red Sox announced that they’ve activated left-hander Drew Pomeranz from the 10-day disabled list. Righty Marcus Walden was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket to open a space on the active roster for Pomeranz’s return.
Pomeranz, 29, has been on the shelf all season thanks to a forearm issue he sustained in Spring Training, but he’ll return to the mound for tonight’s series opener in Oakland. He’ll step into the final spot in the rotation alongside Chris Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello and Eduardo Rodriguez, with Hector Velazquez moving to the bullpen now that Boston’s projected starting five is at full strength.
[Related: Boston Red Sox depth chart]
The 2018 campaign will be a pivotal one for Pomeranz, who’ll qualify for free agency for the first time in his career at season’s end. Pomeranz took some time to establish himself as a quality big league piece after being selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2010 draft. Originally drafted by Cleveland, he was traded to the Rockies as part of the Ubaldo Jimenez swap 14 months later. Pomeranz never put things together in Colorado, but his career took off after being dealt to the A’s prior to the 2014 season.
After a pair of quality seasons spent more as a reliever than a starter, Pomeranz stepped into the Padres’ rotation on a full-time basis in 2016 and hasn’t looked back. Over the past two seasons, he’s tossed 344 1/3 innings of 3.32 ERA ball with 9.4 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 1.1 HR/9 and a 44.5 percent ground-ball rate. He’s yet to top the 180-inning mark at any point in his career, but if he can make another 29 to 30 starts in Boston this season, he should have no shortage of interested parties when free agency rolls around in November.
Lol
As a Yankees fan you should be more concerned about the Yankees!
Yankees got a laundry list of problems…
As a diehard Sox fan, I never take ANYTHING for granted. I will tell you that I find it do HOMIE of the NYY announcers how they show the Boone home run but I was laughing over the fact they NEVER showed the last ending of the Sox in 2004 when the NYY choked BIG time. The worse choke in the history of sports.
In order for it to be the worst choke in the history of baseball, that means they had to be up huge which doesn’t really speak well of the hole the sox were in.
They played so poorly to get in that hole. Not something to brag about that’s for sure. And I’m a Sox fan…. I consider that series outcome very very fortunate and 2004 championship very very lucky. The ball happened to bounce the right way a couple of times.
I don’t get his angle,when as a Yankees fan I was pointing the problems vs the Sox. I guess he just wanted to feel better about himself.
Yup
Yeah right, everyone knows how to pitch the Yankees now
I think the Red Sox will regret the Pomeranz trade
Why? Hasn’t the player they traded to San Diego been hurt since the trade?
Espinoza has pretty much tanked since the trade but the Sox essentially have to win a World Series this year for that trade to have been worth it.
Wasn’t the pomeranz trade a mid-season deadline deal? It was to help the Red Sox get over the hump that year? Anything after that is pure gravy.
Sure pomeranz had a couple more years of control and the guy the Sox gave up for him was a stud in the making but the age-old business formula applies. I’d rather have a sure thing great performer now than a maybe star later.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Too many Henry Owens stories to not trade a bright future young guy for a nice starter like pomeranz. It was a great move.
By the way, in Chicago, Moncada hit .231 in half a season last year, and in this early season is at .222 with 3 hrs.
Really? He was worth 4 wins last year. The pitcher they gave up, Anderson Espinoza, hasn’t pitched since the trade. They’ve already gotten their money’s worth.
Espinosa is 19 years old and throws like 98. They didn’t give up nothing for him even if he lost 2 seasons to TJS.
He also hasn’t pitched at all above A-ball. The jury is still out. San Diego has a lottery ticket. We know how those can turn out.
He hasn’t pitched at all, period. Pitchers usually recover from TJ, but not always.
And Pomeranz is a free agent after the season. If the Padres are that upset about losing him they can re-sign him.
Hey, he’s only a year older than Hosmer!
The player was 19 years old and yes a top prospect. No one compared him to Doc Gooden however and Pomerntz has already outlived their expectations. Even if he goes elsewhere, the trade was fair at worst. Possibly much better if he’s pitching in October.
I think DD gets shown the door if the Sox don’t win a championship this year or next. His trades weren’t really overpays except Travis Shaw but he did bet all his chips on 2017-19. If he doesn’t win it all within that time things aren’t going to look good for him.
A lot can happen in two years. In today’s sports, everyone is either in a rebuild or win now. If the Sox win and the Yankees somehow flop, how safe do you think Cashman will be?
Very safe. Cashman didn’t bet the farm on 2017-19. Plus within the past year and a half he got Giancarlo Stanton, Sonny Gray and Gleyber Torres for basically nothing.
How is Sonny Gray working out? Im pretty sure he gave up 5 runs in 3.1 innings tonight and has looked lost.
One start. How are Fowler, Kaprielian and Mateo doing for the A’s?
how??? its been a great 2+years and he is a free agent in 5 months.
Really? Based on what? Do you realize what he did for the Sox last year?
They already regret it since he was damaged good when they got him.
LOL Steve. Been on the shelf “all season” – three weeks…
The rich get richer.
The Golden State Warriors of baseball.
This is so crazy, I’m a Red Sox fan and a Warriors fan. It’s a great time to be alive but I’ll tell you the 80s the 90s were 20 years of futility for both teams.
I had to suck it up for a long time but sitting pretty now. Warriors are pretty good and the Red Sox contend each year in the last few.
Not fair comparing the two sports. Also while the Sox have been competitive for most of the last 15 years, the flop in 11 and last place finishes in 12, 14 and 15 still stings. Makes you appreciate the last couple division wins but while I’m not trying to come across as arrogant, with their payroll, they should be more competitive in the playoffs in this years playoffs. Nothing wrong with losing to championship caliber clubs but they need to play better in October and give themselves a chance to win.
Yes exactly. The Astros look pretty tough right now but I think the Sox have enough to get past them. At least on paper in April LOL
Please some of you need to remember Pom was a relief guy with low valu… before the Padres and also had issues with pitch count when made a starter…
All of which is included in the article. You’ve contributed nothing to this conversation.
Don’t be so negative. Badco44 was simply reminding many given the tone of some of the posts. We all sometimes do the same.
Pomorantz was a great trade and he is probably going to resign with the Sox based on how much he enjoys the Org and the $ they will be willing to pay him. That’s the early consensus. With Sale, Price, Pomorantz and Porcello not to mention Rodriquez and Wright the Sox are in an enviable position. They will focus on signing their own players which is all they need to do.
With every day contracts also warranting pay raises, even for Boston or New York, they probably will have to make decisions. If Price stays healthy and opts out, they can resign Pomeranz. The following years though have Sales and Porcello contracts to consider. Hopefully Johnson or Velasquez continue the promise they’ve shown in 2018. You get the idea. You going to average $22m for five starters? I don’t think so.
Price will never opt out
There’s a better chance the Sox give me $30 million/yr than Price opting out.
There’s a lot of guys who enjoy their organization but still end up changing teams in free agency
Pomerantz is going to have to compete for one of the 5 0r 6 Starter jobs. With FA looming he will be sought after but only if he has a productive year. Sale, Price, Porcello have been amazing.. With ERod back and perhaps better than anytime in the last 3 years. Brian Johnson has given the Sox another good lefty who has been moved to the pen. Hector Velazquez has a 3-0, .88 ERA. Pom is going to struggle to get start times.
My guess he will be the odd man out and will be traded.
Question: What do the Sox do when Pedroia and Xander come back?
I do like those problems. Cora so far has been pressing the right buttons. It may be DD time to find a new home for Pom for a couple of top prospects..