The Cubs are clearing out the bullpen ahead of the trade deadline, and Drew Pomeranz is the odd man out. Chicago designated the veteran lefty for assignment, according to MLB Trade Rumors, a move that opens a spot for reinstating Jameson Taillon off the injured list and activating newly acquired pitcher Aaron Civale from the Athletics.
Cubs Designate Drew Pomeranz For Assignment t.co/OgqntcWC8t
This was supposed to be a redemption arc. Pomeranz had a genuine bounceback year with the Cubs in 2025, posting a 2.17 ERA over 49⅔ innings after missing three full seasons from 2022 to 2024 with arm injuries. That performance made him worth a look again in 2026, first on a one-year, $4 million deal with the Angels. It didn't take.
The Angels designated him for assignment back on June 15 after he posted a 5.01 ERA and a bloated 1.586 WHIP across 23⅓ innings. The Cubs scooped him up on a minor league deal a week later and eventually called him back up to the big-league roster ahead of a series against the Cardinals in early July. It was a low-risk swing, since the Angels are still on the hook for most of that $4 million while Chicago only owed him the prorated league minimum.
The second act in Chicago never got going. Across 6 appearances with the Cubs this time around, Pomeranz allowed 5 earned runs in just 5⅔ innings, walked 4 and struck out only 1. Combined with his time in Anaheim, he finishes 2026 with a 5.59 ERA, an 11.9% walk rate and a 12.6% strikeout rate over 29 innings — numbers that make the DFA more of a formality than a shock.
This is the reality of roster-building in late July: contenders are trimming fat to make room for reinforcements. The Cubs didn't just cut Pomeranz to cut him — they needed the spot for Taillon and Civale, and they also placed reliever Phil Maton on the 15-day IL with right knee tendinitis. Every move is about tightening the pitching staff for the stretch run, and a soft-tossing lefty with a walk problem wasn't going to survive that math.
Pomeranz now has a decision to make if he clears waivers — accept an outright assignment to the minors, look for a fresh opportunity elsewhere, or call it a career at 13-plus years in the league. Either way, the Cubs' bullpen churn is a reminder that deadline season doesn't wait around for sentimental value, even for a guy who gave them a genuinely good year not that long ago.