In February of 2021, the St. Louis Cardinals traded five players to the Colorado Rockies for third baseman Nolan Arenado. Left-handed pitcher Austin Gomber was one of the biggest names Colorado acquired as part of the deal. Like many pitchers before him, though, Gomber struggled to find success with Colorado. Was it the elevation of Coors Field or did Gomber just simply struggle to find success? Either way, the Rockies officially released Gomber on Friday, according to Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post.
Gomber failed to record an ERA of below 4.75 in any of his five seasons with the Rockies. The ball club was patient with him, but Gomber never found his footing with the team. In 2025, Gomber turned in an abysmal 7.49 ERA across 12 outings. At 31 years old, it will be intriguing to see if Gomber receives attention from other teams.
There was a time when Gomber's ceiling was considered fairly high. Perhaps a team will take a chance on the left-handed pitcher. Moving him to the bullpen could emerge as an option for ball clubs in need of relief help.
Regardless of what Gomber's MLB future holds, the Rockies are moving in a new direction. Life hasn't been easy for the team since trading Arenado to the Cardinals. Arenado himself has been mentioned in trade rumors over the past year, but he's still played an impactful role in St. Louis.
The Cardinals currently hold a 64-65 record. They are in fourth place in the National League Central, but St. Louis is only four games out of a National League Wild Card spot.
Meanwhile, it is safe to assume that the Rockies will not be playing meaningful baseball in October this year. Colorado's 37-91 record is the worst record in the entire sport. They are searching for answers amid their current rebuild, but the unfortunate reality is that the Rockies do not seem to be especially close toward emerging as a contender.
