Red Sox acquire Drew Pomeranz from Padres

The Red Sox have acquired left-hander Drew Pomeranz from the Padres for pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza, according to Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune and Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald. The deal is a 1-for-1 swap.

Boston has been looking for starting pitching for a while due to the team’s continued rotation struggles, and has been linked to most of the starters available on the trade market this summer. Pomeranz will immediately join David Price, Stephen Wright, Rick Porcello and Eduardo Rodriguez in the team’s current mix.

Pomeranz, 27, was named to this year’s National League All-Star team after posting an 8-7 record and 2.47 ERA in 17 start in his first season as a Padre. Pomeranz is under team control through the end of the 2018 season, giving Boston two and a half years of his services.

Pomeranz has now been traded four times in his career: from the Indians to the Rockies in 2011, from the Rockies to the Athletics in 2013, and from the Athletics to the Padres in early December.

Espinoza, 18, has struggled to a 4.38 ERA in 17 starts for Single-A Greenville so far this season but is widely regarded as one of the best prospects in the game. He is currently ranked by MLB.com as the 4th-best prospect in a stacked Red Sox system, and is considered the 34th-best prospect in the league.

ESPN’s Keith Law today ranked Espinoza as the 14th-best prospect in the league and Baseball America has the right-hander as the 15th-best prospect (and 4th-best pitching prospect) in today’s game. According to scouting reports, Espinoza’s stuff (including a fastball that has reached 100 mph) is advanced for an 18-year old. Espinoza features a three-pitch mix, and has been compared by some to a Pedro Martinez-type.

Today’s deal is the second major trade completed between the Padres and Red Sox since Dave Dombrowski took over in Boston. San Diego sent Craig Kimbrel to Boston for prospects Manuel Margot, Javier Guerra, Carlos Asuaje and Logan Allen in mid-November.