The Chicago Cubs acquired Drew Pomeranz from the Seattle Mariners on Monday, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. After signing with Seattle in the offseason, Pomeranz has been pitching at Triple-A Tacoma, and hasn't appeared in the bigs since 2021.
Pomeranz signed with Seattle in December, was released in March, then re-joined the club almost immediately after, reporting to Triple-A, where he's made nine appearances.
Also according to Rosenthal, Pomeranz had an "upward mobility" clause in his contract, meaning the Mariners had to trade him if another team was willing to acquire him and give him a big league roster spot, meaning Chicago likely plans to bring Pomeranz to the Majors.
Cubs acquiring left-hander Drew Pomeranz from Mariners, sources tell @TheAthletic. Pomeranz, 36, had been pitching at Triple A - 14 strikeouts, 6 walks and a 4.66 ERA in 9 2/3 innings.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) April 21, 2025
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MLB trade grades: Cubs take no-risk move on former World Series champ
Sure, why not? If Chicago made this move in 2018, it would make some waves. In 2025, it makes... a ripple? Maybe? Pomeranz obviously won't start, but could make some appearances out of Chicago's bullpen. Hey, searching for bullpen help in April usually isn't flashy.
Pomeranz' numbers in Tacoma aren't stellar either, but AAA parks typically favor hitters, and it seems like the Cubs saw enough to try him out at the big league level. Will it shift the balance of power in the NL? Probably not... but that would be pretty crazy, huh?
This is kind of just an "adding a body" move, and Pomeranz might not come in any high-leverage spots, but if he's still got some juice in his arm it doesn't hurt to have another reliable option out of the 'pen.