With the constant shuffling of the bullpen, the Chicago Cubs are adding another piece to the ever-evolving puzzle. This time, it will be former all-star relief pitcher Drew Pomeranz, who was acquired from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for cash on Monday.
Nearly four years have passed since his last major league appearance, but that doesn't seem to faze the Cubs' brass, who always go bargain shopping for their bullpen. Although Pomeranz will be in the bullpen mix, he will have to wait to get his shot at the Major League roster. According to a report from Marquee Sports Network's Taylor McGregor, Pomeranz will report to Triple-A Iowa.
The veteran lefty had joined the Seattle Mariners organization and pitched to a 4.66 ERA in nine games with Triple-A Tacoma this year. Surely the Cubs saw something in him that goes well beyond the numbers he was putting up.
Pomeranz had bounced between nine different organizations in his career before reaching the Cubs. The veteran will be hoping that it's in Chicago where he'll finally return to his former prowess as a big-league reliever.
If he can thrive out of the bullpen, the Cubs will make it a priority to keep him for the rest of the way since the team is in desperate need of an effective reliever from the left side.
Caleb Thielbar and Luke Little haven't made the impact that could be hoped for yet, so Pomeranz has a chance to provide a stable source of efficiency.
Even though the Cubs are on top of the NL Central, that title is not a foregone conclusion given the up-and-down performance of the bullpen. The team can only slug its way to wins for so long until they hit that preverbal dry spell at the plate.
The bullpen is going to need to be effective if the Cubs have any hopes of making the postseason for the first time since 2020. Drew Pomeranz is intriguing, but the team shouldn't put all their eggs into his basket right away.
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