Jun 10, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs logo on the jersey of third base Matt Shaw (6) against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Key Piece From Cardinals-Nolan Arenado Trade Joining Cubs

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Sep 3, 2025 2:00 PM ET

With the stretch run now here, there have been transactions left and right across Major League Baseball over the last week or so.

Teams had until noon on Sept. 1st to bring players into organizations and have them be eligible for playoff rosters.

"For the 2025 season, any player who was on the 40-man roster or 60-day injured list as of noon ET on Sept. 1 is eligible for the postseason," per league rules. "Those on the restricted list at that point are also eligible if they haven't been suspended for performance-enhancing drugs during that season. (All players who have served a suspension for PEDs in a given season are ineligible for postseason play that year.)"

The former Cardinal has found a new home

Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

One former member of the St. Louis Cardinals ended up being one of the players moved ahead of the deadline. It was shared on August 22nd that the Colorado Rockies were releasing veteran hurler Austin Gomber after five seasons in town. Fans should remember Gomber. He spent parts of two seasons in the big leagues with the Cardinals after being drafted in the fourth round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the organization.

He was dealt to Colorado in the Nolan Arenado trade back in the day. Now, he's re-joining the NL Central and signed a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs, as shared by MLB Trade Rumors' Anthony Franco.

"The Cubs signed left-hander Austin Gomber to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Iowa," Franco said on Tuesday. "He’s on the mound tonight against Kansas City’s top affiliate in his organizational debut. The MLB.com transaction tracker indicates he signed the contract on August 26 even though it wasn’t announced until today.

"That’s a relevant distinction because it keeps open the long shot possibility that Gomber could get a look in the postseason. He was in the organization before the beginning of September, so he’ll be eligible for the playoff roster even though he’s not currently on the 40-man roster. That obviously wouldn’t be Plan A for the team, but the southpaw provides rotation depth for a team that is without Michael Soroka and Jameson Taillon at the moment. The Cubs also brought in Joe Ross on a minor league deal."

Gomber's minor league debut in the Cubs' system was on Tuesday and he went five innings and didn't allow a run and gave up just two base hits for the Iowa Cubs.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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