Even on the fringes, it probably never feels too bad to sign a free agent away from the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team that feels like it ends up with everything.
That's what the Boston Red Sox did on Tuesday.
The Athletic's Will Sammon has reported the signing of the 28-year old lefty pitcher to Boston.
"It's a minor league split contract with an invitation to big league spring training. If in majors, it's $925,000," Sammon reported.
Gamboa was a ninth-round pick by the Dodgers in the 2019 MLB Draft out of Fresno City College.
He spent the past six seasons working his way up through the Dodgers' minor league system.
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Gamboa's career minor league ERA is 4.23. In 2024 at Triple-A Oklahoma City, it was 3.30. It rose to 4.19 in 2025 at the same level.
The southpaw actually left OKC partway through the season to sign a contract with Lotte in the Korea Baseball Organization. He closed out the season there with 19 starts, a 3.58 ERA and 117 strikeouts in 108 innings pitched.
The Red Sox must've liked what they saw from Gamboa after that change, and he didn't have to wait long to get another opportunity back in MLB.
Boston has prioritized pitching this offseason already, so there'll be a long list of names favored to earn roster spots over Gamboa. But he has continued to pursue his MLB debut, and his next chance to reach it will be with the Red Sox.
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