Kyle Gibson stands as the top unsigned starting pitcher following Jose Quintana’s one-year deal with Milwaukee. Jon Morosi of the MLB Network reports that the 37-year-old Gibson plans to pitch this year. The former All-Star has been throwing live batting practice to college hitters to ensure he’s not starting from scratch whenever he signs. Morosi indicates that Gibson has gotten up to 60 pitches in those sessions.
Opening Day is just over three weeks off. It’s reaching the point where teams could have concerns about a pitcher’s readiness for the start of the regular season if they’re not currently in camp. (Lance Lynn and Spencer Turnbull are among other free agent starters of note.) Though throwing batting practice to non-professional hitters isn’t a direct substitute for Spring Training, it should at least keep Gibson generally on track for whenever he puts pen to paper.
Gibson has been a back-of-the-rotation workhorse for most of his career. He has thrown nearly 1900 innings over a career spanning parts of 12 seasons. Gibson has started at least 29 games on nine occasions. He has nine seasons with 150+ innings, including three years with 190+ frames. The Missouri product tossed 169 2/3 innings over 30 starts for the Cardinals last season. He pitched to a 4.24 ERA with a slightly below-average 20.9% strikeout rate.
St. Louis declined a $12MM option in favor of a $1MM buyout. Gibson looked like a candidate for an eight-figure salary on a one-year deal early in the offseason. That’s tough to envision at this stage. The early robust rotation market has cooled. Quintana was limited to a $4.25MM guarantee. Andrew Heaney signed with Pittsburgh for $5.25MM a couple weeks ago. Gibson is probably looking at a similar price point.
There hasn’t been any kind of recent reporting on potential landing spots. The Cardinals initially expressed openness to bringing Gibson back at a lower price, but they probably expected to trade at least one starter in a move that would have offloaded salary. That hasn’t transpired. The Tigers were linked to Gibson early in the winter; they’ve subsequently added Alex Cobb and re-signed Jack Flaherty. MLBTR’s afternoon poll asked readers to predict Gibson’s landing spot. No team received even 10% of the vote. The Cardinals are narrowly ahead of the Mets as the poll’s plurality favorite.
Return to the orioles?
Not likely. He’s not an upgrade to who they currently have.
I don’t think Albert Suarez is going to be good again
No, not chance!
Povich, NcDermott and Young still in AAA. Rogers, too. Bradish and Wells coming back. Even if Suarez struggles, why sign Gibson and put him in AAA. About their 9th or 10th starter.
Please, no. They pulled the fence back in. He’d be doomed.
Say what you will about Gibson, but it is no small feat to stay in the league as long as he has. He has definitely gotten the most out of his talent, Very impressive career.
His Guitars are The BEST.
Gibson is one of the greatest pitchers of all time. Bob, that is.
Eddie Rickenbacker and Freddy Fender politely disagree.
Impressive isn’t the word I’d use but ok
Padres.
Is this news?
Jerry Hairston Jr’s toupee is soooo Dipoto
The independent league teams probably could use him. Another vampire who should fly away.
170 innings at 4 and a quarter ERA is better than at least one starter for all but a few teams. And for some, he’d be a #3. Probably still pricing himself a little too high. Bet he’s in a camp by the weekend.
I don’t know why the Mets haven’t grabbed one of these back end of rotation innings eater type pitcher. I think the Mets question mark on paper is there starting rotation.
For the love of God, no!
In a way, his market struggles symbolize a larger, irreversible change in how teams value pitchers today.
If Martin Perez was worth $5 million to the White Sox, then Kyle Gibson should be worth the same. Sign him to a 1-year deal and hope to flip him mid-season.
White Sox SHOULD do that plan, but no, Jerry isn’t going to add to payroll. This would help Chris Getz at the deadline, but it makes too much sense…
I actually don’t think Gibson is too bad. You could definitely do worse at the back of a rotation and plenty teams do have worse!
Brewers.. go!
I would say the Yankees or White Sox as best options. Yankees as they keep losing pitchers, White Sox as he is still better than what they have now. If the Marlins would spend any money they would be an option at least if does well they could trade him or trade Alcantra now and put Gibson in his place at 5M saves them money.
Hear me out… A free agent spring training team to play against other big leaguers. Agents pay to place their clients on the team, the money then goes to MLB Charities. Find a staff of retired players to manage/ coach the team.
Agents get paid, players prove what they can do, MLB has positive publicity.