Following a 2017 campaign in which he went 17-6 with a 3.32 ERA, Drew Pomeranz was given high expectations that he would be able to repeat that showcase in 2018.
However, a forearm injury in spring training led to Pomeranz beginning the season on the disabled list which left the Red Sox with a decent-sized hole to be filled with Brian Johnson and Hector Velasquez.
Boston’s hot start to the season ended up making the Pomeranz injury seem like less of a problem than it really was. That being said, Sox Nation breathed a sigh of relief when the Red Sox activated the tall lefty off of the disabled list on April 20.
Since his activation though, Pomeranz has been anything but sharp. In six starts this season, No. 31 for Boston has an ERA of 6.28, with a fastball velocity sitting around 89 MPH.
The Red Sox acquired the left-hander from San Diego for prospect Anderson Espinoza back in 2016. If it weren’t for how bad Espinoza has been in his time with the Padres, you could chalk up this trade as another dud in the tenure of Dave Dombrowski as President of Baseball Operations in Boston.
With Steven Wright back from his injury and suspension, he’s the much better option for the Red Sox moving forward. Whether Pomeranz is banished to the bullpen, traded, or designated for assignment remains to be seen, but the fact of the matter is that six starts into the season, he shouldn’t still be pitching like it’s March.
In a competitive division like the AL East, the Red Sox can’t really afford to wait around and hope Pomeranz can revert back to even 80 percent of the pitcher he was last year. He’s been awful, and something needs to be done to fix it.
