Giants bring back Drew Pomeranz, Black option; Reetz DFA originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO — Drew Pomeranz did not become a successful turnaround project for the Giants rotation in 2019, as the management expected. But when they moved the lefty to the bullpen That July, his career ended up having a very lucrative second chapter.
Five years later, Pomeranz is wearing orange and black again.
The Giants signed the 35-year-old to a major league contract on Friday and added him to their bullpen before the opener of a three-game series against the New York Mets. Mason Black was optioned back to Triple-A to open an active roster spot and Jakson Reetz was designated for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
After several strong outings out of the bullpen in 2019, Pomeranz was sent to Milwaukee in a deal that brought Mauricio Dubón back to Northern California. He signed a four-year, $34 million contract with the San Diego Padres that winter, but only made 47 appearances over the life of the contract. Injuries have prevented Pomeranz from pitching in the majors since 2021, and he has made several stops and starts during the rehab process.
Pomeranz was most recently with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who released him from their Triple-A roster this week. In nine innings with his Oklahoma City affiliate, Pomeranz struck out 14 and walked just one while allowing six runs. His fastball was in the 90-92 mph range in his last start, which was against Triple-A Sacramento.
For the Giants, this is a low-cost look at another option for a bullpen that already has Taylor Rogers and Erik Miller on the left side. It’s also another reunion for an organization that recently brought back Curt Casali to fill a hole on the roster.