The club reached an agreement on a minor league contract with left-hander Austin Gomber on Sunday. Gomber, who spent the past five seasons with the Colorado Rockies, receives an invitation to Major League spring training.
Gomber, 32, was selected in the fourth round by St. Louis in 2014 and made his debut with the Cardinals in 2018. He was later sent to the Rockies as a key part of the blockbuster trade for Nolan Arenado, ultimately logging the majority of his Major League service time in Colorado.
Gomber is looking to bounce back from a volatile 2025 campaign. While he delivered a league-average 100 ERA+ over 165 innings in 2024, his performance dipped sharply last year.
Before being released by Colorado in August, Gomber struggled through 12 starts, posting a 7.49 ERA and a 6.50 FIP.
Statistically, the underlying numbers from his last stretch for Colorado were concerning:
Strikeout Rate: 12.5% Groundball Rate: 33.2% Barrel Rate: 14.5%
Despite the MLB problems, Gomber found success late in the season after signing a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs.
In four appearances (three starts) for Triple-A Iowa, he surrendered just one earned run over 19 innings, good for an ERA of 0.47.
Depth and versatility
The Rangers are betting on a return to his 2024 form rather than the 0-7 record he posted last season. Over the past three years, Gomber has thrown 361 innings with an ERA of 5.47 – the highest mark in the majors among the 106 pitchers with at least 300 innings in that span.
Although he has spent the last three years exclusively as a starter, Gomber offers the Rangers flexibility.
He has 44 appearances on his CV, making him a candidate for:
Rotation Insurance: A veteran substitute in case an injury occurs during camp or April.
Long Relief: A multi-inning option out of the bullpen to start the season.
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