With their primary rotation set following the acquisition of MacKenzie Gore, the Texas Rangers have pivoted to building veteran depth.
The club reached an agreement Sunday on a minor league contract with left-hander Austin Gomber. Gomber, who spent the previous five seasons with the Colorado Rockies, will receive an invitation to major league spring training.
Gomber, 32, was a 2014 fourth-round selection by St. Louis and debuted with the Cardinals in 2018. He was later sent to the Rockies as a primary piece of the blockbuster trade for Nolan Arenado, eventually logging the majority of his major league service time in Colorado.
Gomber is looking to rebound 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 final stretch for Colorado were concerning:
Strikeout Rate: 12.5%
Ground-Ball Rate: 33.2%
Barrel Rate: 14.5%
Despite the MLB struggles, Gomber found late-season success 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 a 0.47 ERA.
Depth and Versatility
The Rangers are betting on a return to his 2024 form rather than the 0-7 record he hung last season. Over the last three years, Gomber has pitched 361 innings with a 5.47 ERA—the highest mark in the majors among the 106 pitchers with at least 300 innings in that span.
Though he has worked exclusively as a starter for the last three years, Gomber offers the Rangers flexibility.
He has 44 career relief appearances on his resume, making him a candidate for:
Rotation Insurance: A veteran fill-in should an injury occur during camp or April.
Long Relief: A multi-inning option out of the bullpen to start the season.
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