Written by Dennis Lin at San Diego Union Tribune
Less than 48 hours after Drew Pomeranz played in his first All-Star Game, the Padres demonstrated a classic example of selling high, trading the left-hander to the Boston Red Sox for top pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza. The move, officially completed Thursday night, furthered San Diego’s rebuilding process while adding one of the minors’ brightest young talents to the farm system.
Pomeranz, 27, had seen his value skyrocket in his first season with the Padres, who, in a pitching-thin market, dealt him at his peak. Thursday represented the culmination of a chain of events that began in December, when General Manager A.J. Preller sent Yonder Alonso and Marc Rzepczynski to Oakland for a package featuring Pomeranz, a former first-round draft pick who’d yet to find consistency.
Things clicked in San Diego, where Pomeranz went 8-7 with a 2.47 ERA over 17 starts. His .184 opponents’ batting average was the best in the National League, while his strikeout rate (10.1 per nine innings) was the seventh-highest.
“Not an easy guy to deal,” Preller said. “Any time you have a left-handed starter that’s performed the way he has, you have to feel very good about the return you’re getting. … We felt like we were getting a premium guy and someone who’s been close to untouchable last year.”
Espinoza, 18, was ranked 15th on Baseball America’s midseason top-100 prospects list. As the youngest pitcher in the Sally League this season, the right-hander posted a 4.38 ERA in 17 starts for low Single-A Greenville. The 6-foot Venezuelan has been compared, probably unfairly, to Pedro Martinez, but his velocity (already in the mid-90s, will touch 99) and advanced secondary pitches (curveball, change-up) are those of a potential star.
The Red Sox’s offer stood out. Preller said “quite a few teams” expressed interest in Pomeranz, and a source confirmed about 10 clubs inquired about the left-hander’s availability.
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