Rockies put $6.35 million pitcher on waivers amid struggles

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The Colorado Rockies placed left-hander Austin Gomber on outright waivers Wednesday, allowing all 30 Major League Baseball teams to claim the $6.35 million pitcher, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Given his struggles this season, Gomber is expected to clear waivers, allowing the Rockies to either assign him to the minors or release him.

Gomber has endured a difficult 2025 campaign across 12 starts and 57.2 innings pitched, posting a 0-7 record, a 7.49 ERA, and a 1.61 WHIP, with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 32:15. His most recent start against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday saw him allow seven earned runs on nine hits in just three innings, striking out two and walking two.

“I feel like I’m in a tough spot right now, I felt like I let the team down,” Gomber said after Tuesday’s game. “I feel like I’m a little bit lost out there right now. I don’t really have any confidence, conviction. I don’t have an identity of what I’m trying to do.” Colorado could opt to just cut Gomber loose should he clear waivers.”

This season has shown issues that have plagued Gomber throughout his tenure in Colorado. Since being traded from the St. Louis Cardinals in 2021 in a deal that sent Nolan Arenado to St. Louis, Gomber has struggled to replicate his early promise.

In 124 total appearances (104 starts) with Colorado before this season, he posted a 5.23 ERA. His 2024 season saw him start 30 games, going 5-12 with a 4.75 ERA, 116 strikeouts in 165 innings, and allowing the most home runs in the National League. Gomber began 2025 on the injured list due to shoulder soreness, had a rehab stint with the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes, and was activated on June 15.

Before joining the Rockies, the 31-year-old had shown significant potential with St. Louis. Drafted in the fourth round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of Florida Atlantic University, he was named co-Minor League Pitcher of the Year for the Cardinals organization in 2015 and debuted in the majors in 2018. In the COVID-shortened 2020 season, he recorded a 1.86 ERA in 29 innings pitched over 10 appearances (four starts) with the Cardinals.

Colorado has struggled overall in 2025, currently holding a 36-90 record. The Rockies’ pitching woes have been a major factor in their difficult season, with Gomber’s performance emblematic of broader team challenges.

The move to place Gomber on waivers represents an effort to offload his remaining salary while giving the pitcher a chance for a fresh start elsewhere, though it is unlikely he will be claimed. If unclaimed, Gomber could either accept a minor league assignment or elect free agency.

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