Can Cubs Turn This Buy-Low Signing Into An Impactful Major League Pitcher?

The Chicago Cubs are searching for answers in their pitching staff.

After having to navigate the majority of the season without Justin Steele, they are also down Jameson Taillon and deadline addition Michael Soroka in their rotation, putting tons of pressure on Colin Rea and Matthew Boyd to perform behind Shota Imanaga and Cade Horton.

At this stage of the campaign, they have to hope both Taillon and Soroka are able to come back healthy and be effective since nobody they now add via a waiver claim or minor league signing will be eligible for their postseason roster.

But there is someone who they can turn to in their minor league system who has experience and was signed to a deal before the Aug. 31 cutoff date.

Cubs Signed Austin Gomber To Minor League Deal

After spending five seasons with the Colorado Rockies, that team decided it was time to move on the from the underwhelming left-hander after he had a 5.31 ERA across 125 outings (109 starts) during his tenure.

The Rockies released him on Aug. 22, cutting ties with the 31-year-old despite owing him the remainder of his $6.35 million salary that was agreed to in arbitration. But the lackluster history of Austin Gomber didn't stop the Cubs from taking a chance on him, with Tommy Birch of The Des Moines Register first reporting they had inked the lefty to a minor league deal. Gomber's player tracker later revealed that he was signed on Aug. 26.

Chicago wasted little time seeing what Gomber could do for their Triple-A affiliate. He started on Sept. 2 and was brilliant for the Iowa Cubs, throwing five scoreless innings where he allowed just two hits and struck out five.

Considering the lack of strikeouts has been a major issue for Gomber at the big league level, seeing him fan a batter per inning -- even if it was in the minors -- is a positive sign that the left-hander might have some gas left in the tank.

Can Cubs Work Their Magic On Austin Gomber?

The Cubs are considered to be ahead of the curve when it comes to their pitching development. That's resulted in some under-the-radar prospects turning into impactful arms for them, while some of their higher ceiling guys have started to live up to that billing.

Fixing Gomber might be the biggest feather in their cap if they are able to do so. He did not look like a major league starter with Colorado, and while Coors Field might have played a role in that, the 5.18 ERA he had at home is comparable to the 4.97 ERA he had on the road.

How Chicago goes about getting Gomber back on track isn't quite clear. His lack of high strikeout stuff is a huge detriment, and at this stage of his career, it's hard to imagine that will change. But if the Cubs can fix his arsenal and reduce the hard contact he's giving up, then that could make him an option for the team down the line.

Since he was signed before the Aug. 31 cutoff date, he is eligible to be on Chicago's postseason roster. Whether that comes to fruition or not will be determined by how he performs following his stellar debut with Triple-A Iowa.

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