Cubs Apparently Brought Drew Pomeranz Back on Minors Deal

Somehow lost in the shuffle was the fact that the Cubs have reunited with lefty Drew Pomeranz on a minor-league deal. Though no official announcement has been made and almost nothing exists online, Bleacher Nation spotted the move on the Cubs’ transaction log from June 22. The Angels designated the 37-year-old for assignment five days earlier, at which point I semi-jokingly tweeted that he’d be back with the Cubs.

The Pomeranz move came as part of a string of Angels transactions involving former Cubs. On June 22, the Angels activated Jorge Soler from the IL, DFA’d Nick Madrigal, and lost Trey Mancini to free agency after he was DFA’d and opted against an outright assignment to Triple-A. Wowsers. Pomeranz landed a one-year, $4 million deal with Anaheim following his unexpected success with the Cubs, which came after having not appeared in an MLB game since 2021.

As is their MO, the Cubs refused to pay a premium for what they presumed was an aberration. They appear to have been correct, as Pomeranz posted a 5.01 ERA with a 6.32 FIP over 25 relief appearances in which he struck out 16 with 12 walks and five home runs allowed. I have very serious doubts about his ability to recapture any of the magic from last season, but it’s worth a shot.

The Cubs also signed 20-year-old righty Jhon Cabral to a minors deal on Monday and assigned him to the Arizona Complex League. He has never pitched above rookie ball in parts of five professional seasons after being signed by the Marlins out of the Dominican Republic as a teenager.