Resurgent southpaw reliever may be the key to unlocking Angels bullpen

The Los Angeles Angels have a lot of question marks in the bullpen to begin the season and they will be relying on a resurgent southpaw, Drew Pomeranz, to be the same version of himself that he was last season in a comeback campaign with the Cubs.

The 37-year-old Pomeranz has had a winding and circuitous career. Initially a starting pitcher who bounced around from team to team in the first half of his career, he reinvented himself as a reliever and for a brief time had some of the most elite numbers among relievers in the game.

Then, he disappeared for years as he dealt with injuries. Pomeranz's last MLB appearance before he resurfaced with the Cubs last season came in 2022 with the San Diego Padres, but you wouldn't know it based on the 2.17 ERA he posted in 57 appearances for Chicago.

Angels need Drew Pomeranz to be as good as 2025 to stabilize bullpen

Los Angeles signed him to a $2 million contract in the offseason which is something of a steal based on how he looked last season. He struck out 57 batters in nearly 50 innings pitched so the stuff is obviously still there, but teams may be scared off by that three-year gap in his resume.

Pomeranz has a very healthy perspective at this stage of his career, though. He is thriving on positivity and has said that he is just happy to be in the big leagues after he thought his career was likely over. That sort of attitude is perfect for a reliever. He is fearless and knows he has nothing to lose at this point in his career. He has been through so many ups and downs in his career so he is as embattled of a veteran as a team can find.

With so much uncertainty, Pomeranz may wind up playing a pretty big role in the bullpen. The top candidates to close, Robert Stephenson and Ben Joyce, have dealt with a ton of injuries so it would be a shock if either of them made it through the season without some time spent on the IL.

That could force new manager Kurt Suzuki to get creative to make the bullpen work. Maybe he'd even use Pomeranz as a ninth inning arm even though the veteran has never really been a closer in his career. The guy has done it all though and he's been through it all so it would be fitting in a way if he began his career as a starter and then ended it as a closer.