Red Sox acquire All-Star Pomeranz from Padres
The Boston Red Sox bolstered their beleaguered rotation Thursday just hours before the start of the second half, acquiring All-Star left-hander Drew Pomeranz from the San Diego Padres in exchange for top pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza.
The deal, which was first reported by Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune, was announced by both clubs late Thursday night. It's the fourth trade in a week for Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowzki, who also swung deals for Aaron Hill and Brad Ziegler.
Pomeranz, an All-Star for the first time this season, is having a breakout year at age 27, pitching to 2.47 ERA over 17 starts while compiling three wins above replacement and striking out a career-high 10.1 batters per nine innings. His .184 opponents' batting average was tops among National League pitchers, and his 102 innings are already the most he's thrown during his six-year career.
"We think (Pomeranz) makes us better now," Dombrowski told reporters after the trade was announced. "We know there's a sacrifice for the future."
In trading away their best pitching prospect, the Red Sox are hoping Pomeranz helps turnaround a scuffling rotation that's performed especially poorly of late. Red Sox starters entered the break with a 4.89 ERA over the last 30 days, and the club's 424 runs allowed are the most in the American League East.
Pomeranz, who will be joining his fourth team in as many years, is making $1.35 million this season, and remains under club control through 2018.
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In Espinoza, the Padres receive one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, an 18-year-old right-hander from Venezuela with triple-digit speed, and the makeup of a frontline starter, according to scouts. It's the second major prospect Boston has sent to the Padres in the last year, after the Red Sox traded outfielder Manuel Margot and three other minor leaguers to San Diego in exchange for Craig Kimbrel last winter.
Moments after the deal was made, Boston wasted no time restocking its farm system, reportedly agreeing to terms with highly touted left-hander Jason Groome, the club's first-round pick in this year's draft, on a signing bonus worth $3.65 million.