Role
Gamboa came out of nowhere. He spent his pro career in the Dodgers system, then pitched for the Lotte Giants in Korea in 2025 (per the Korea Times), and debuted for Boston on May 5 at 29 with a perfect ninth against Detroit. He rode the Worcester shuttle until mid-August, then stuck as a long man and occasional opener (three starts). He made the Wild Card roster.
Outlook
The 1.91 ERA in 33 innings is real, and it's also a little lucky. He struck out 23 and walked 11, a low strikeout rate for a reliever, and his expected ERA was 3.08 (Baseball Savant). The four-seamer averages 95.4 mph and held hitters to a .186 average. The slider got hit (.289). The playoffs were rough: three hits and two runs in Game 1 without getting an out.
Our take: a lefty who throws 95 and can cover three innings has a place on a staff. We'd expect his ERA to finish around 4.00 unless the slider gets better.