Rockies Reportedly Could Trade Coveted Hurler Back To Cardinals

St. Louis might reunite with the pitcher this summer

Sep 25, 2018; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Austin Gomber (68) pitches during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals are keeping their hopes up that they'll be able to contend this season and avoid having to sell as they did at last year's deadline.

The biggest concern for the Cardinals right now is starting pitching -- although greatly improved from last year's lackluster arsenal -- the rotation still requires another reliable arm.

Luckily, a familiar face might be available as a former St. Louis hurler has recently been mentioned as a possible candidate to reunite with the Cardinals this summer.

"The (Colorado) Rockies don’t make many trades, but perhaps his (Austin Gomber) old team (Cardinals) would like him back," New York Post's Jon Heyman wrote Thursday when discussing where the league's top trade targets might end up at the deadline.

Gomber has posted a 1-4 record with a 4.26 ERA, 49-to-22 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .260 batting average against and a 1.32 WHIP in 69 2/3 innings pitched for Colorado this season.

The 30-year-old hasn't been anything special since making his debut in 2018 with St. Louis -- where he pitched for two seasons -- but he's having the best season of his career and will be coveted for the first time this deadline.

The left-handed pitcher still has one more year left of club control after this season, which is significant because it would give St. Louis stability in a rotation full of aging players with club options. It would also allow them to have another trade chip should things fall apart in 2025.

However, trading for Gomber must be at the right cost. It might not be worth it for the Cardinals to trade top prospects for him but perhaps St. Louis can dig deep into the farm system and find a way to make a deal worth it for the stubborn Rockies franchise.

Acquiring a controllable starter who's pitching at the top of his game would be huge for St. Louis but doing so must be done carefully.

More MLB: Cardinals Seen As Contenders To Land White Sox Hurler As Part Of Chicago's Fire Sale