Within an hour or two after Austin Gomber cleared waivers and was released by the Colorado Rockies, his agent’s phone rang.
The Chicago Cubs, the first of a few teams to reach out to Gomber, were willing to offer him a chance to come to the club and pitch on a minor league deal.
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“It showed some sort of interest on their side,” Gomber said.
The Cubs had a plan to help him rejuvenate his career and potentially help him get back to the big leagues. Gomber liked the idea and agreed to a deal with the club. He’s now back in the minors with the Iowa Cubs trying to regain his form.
Starter Austin Gomber #26 of the Colorado Rockies pitches during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Aug. 8, 2025, in Phoenix.
“I think they have a reputation of making guys that are kind of on that line and getting them to the next level — taking guys and getting them up to another level,” Gomber said. “So, this is somewhere that I wanted to come.”
Gomber, a left-handed hurler, began his career as a pitching prospect for the St. Louis Cardinals. He pitched two seasons for the Cardinals, winning nine games in 2021. Gomber was then traded to the Rockies and struggled.
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During parts of five seasons with Colorado, he went 28-44 with a 5.31 ERA in 125 games including 109 starts. The 2025 season was especially tough on Gomber, who went 0-7 with a 7.49 ERA in 12 starts.
The struggling Rockies decided to move on from the seven-year veteran and released him late in August. Gomber said he wasn’t surprised when the move was made.
“There’s no grudges,” Gomber said. “I didn’t pitch good enough to keep my job and I also understood the situation that I was in.”
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When Gomber became a free agent, his agent fielded calls from several teams. But the Cubs were the first. Gomber, who was impressed with how the Cubs had helped other older pitchers reestablish themselves, hoped they’d reach out.
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Just as he figured, the Cubs had a plan for him. After signing a minor league deal with the club on Aug. 26, Gomber went to the team’s complex in Arizona and went to work on some adjustments they recommended. Some of them included mechanical changes. Others included tinkering with his pitch usage.
“Kind of super scientific stuff kind of like biomechanically, how my body used to move on the mound when I was with the Cardinals and then my early years with the Rockies and then how in the last few years I’ve kind of gotten away from that,” Gomber said.
Gomber, who joined Iowa on Sept. 2, was impressive in his Iowa debut, tossing five shutout innings. Gomber allowed just two hits and struck out five while walking just one.
“It helps the process when the results are positive,” Gomber said. “So I’m excited.”
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The addition of Gomber could be a diamond-in-the-rough signing for the Cubs. At the very least, the team gets some much-needed pitching depth in the minor leagues. Or the Cubs could unlock something in Gomber’s game that helps him become a contributor in the majors again.
Because Gomber signed with the Cubs in August, he’s eligible to join the big-league club for the postseason. While signing that early was part of the appeal, Gomber said he was given no assurances that he’d even pitch in the majors with Chicago this season. Simply getting an opportunity to work on his game and continue pitching was enough.
“I haven’t been a Cub for a long time,” Gomber said. “It feels like these guys really care about trying to help me out, which is nice to have.”
Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Why Austin Gomber wanted to sign with the Cubs after being released by the Rockies