The Angels added a couple of veterans to their bullpen mix on Tuesday, signing left-hander Drew Pomeranz and right-hander Jordan Romano.
Pomeranz, who will make $4 million in 2026, is coming off a season in which he posted a 2.17 ERA in 57 games with the Chicago Cubs.
Romano, who will make $2 million, represents more of a gamble. He was an All-Star reliever in 2022 and 2023, but over the past two seasons heâs posted a 7.83 ERA.
It continues a trend this winter for the Angels. They have taken low-risk fliers on players who have upside. None of their other three additions this winter â pitchers Grayson Rodriguez and Alek Manoah and infielder Vaughn Grissom â even appeared in the majors in 2025.
The total outlay for the five players is less than $10 million, with Pomeranz getting the biggest deal.
Pomeranz, 37, was a reclamation project a year ago. Injuries prevented him from pitching in the majors from 2022 to 2024. The Seattle Mariners had Pomeranz on a minor-league deal last spring, and they traded him to the Cubs in late April.
Pomeranz struck out 57 and walked 15 in 49â innings with the Cubs, holding opponents to a .210 batting average. Lefties hit .176 against him.
Romano, 32, had a 2.67 ERA through his first five major league seasons, including a 2.49 mark over his back-to-back All-Star seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays.
In 2024, Romano had elbow surgery that cost him most of the season. He pitched just 13â innings with the Blue Jays. The Philadelphia Phillies nonetheless took a chance on him last season, signing him to an $8.5 million, one-year deal.
Romano pitched in 49 games with the Phillies last season, posting an 8.23 ERA.
Romano has a career 3.73 ERA.
Itâs unclear exactly how the two pitchers will fit into the Angelsâ bullpen, which is full of question marks. Their top two relievers are right-handers Robert Stephenson and Ben Joyce, but both are coming off injuries that cost them almost the entire 2025 season.