The Orioles announced on Friday that they’ve reunited with Kyle Gibson on a one-year deal. The Rowley Sports Management client is reportedly guaranteed $5.25MM and can another $1.525MM in performance bonuses — including $150K apiece at 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 starts. Baltimore placed Kyle Bradish, who underwent elbow surgery last June, on the 60-day injured list to open a roster spot.
Gibson was the top remaining free agent starting pitcher. The veteran righty has been a durable innings source at the back of various rotations. That included a 2023 season spent in Baltimore. Gibson made 33 starts and tossed 192 innings for the O’s two seasons ago. He posted a 4.73 earned run average while recording 157 strikeouts.
The Missouri product signed a $13MM free agent deal with the Cardinals during the 2023-24 offseason. He continued to work as a steady if unexciting back-end option. Gibson took 30 turns through the rotation and pitched to a 4.24 ERA over 169 2/3 innings. His 20.9% strikeout rate and 44.8% ground-ball percentage were near league average. St. Louis declined a $12MM club option in favor of a $1MM buyout at year’s end.
Gibson has nine MLB seasons with at least 29 starts and more than 150 frames. He hasn’t spent any time on the injured list within the last three seasons. His 711 1/3 innings over the past four years ranks eighth among major league pitchers. Once he’s ready for major league work, he should slot into the fifth spot in Brandon Hyde’s rotation.
That won’t be from Opening Day. While Gibson has been throwing side sessions, that’s not a direct substitute for Spring Training. Hyde told Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com that Gibson will need the equivalent of a spring ramp-up. It’s not clear if he’ll consent to an optional assignment to begin the season in the minors or start the year on the injured list, but he won’t be on the active roster on Thursday.
Gibson is the third older starting pitcher whom the Orioles have added on a one-year deal. They signed Charlie Morton to a $15MM contract and brought in NPB veteran Tomoyuki Sugano at $13MM. All three project more as back-end arms at this stage of their careers.
Grayson Rodriguez received a cortisone shot to treat elbow inflammation a couple weeks ago. He’ll begin the season on the injured list. Zach Eflin leads a starting five that also includes Morton, Sugano and Dean Kremer. Swingman Albert Suárez and young lefty Cade Povich are battling to round out the rotation. Suárez entered camp as the sixth starter, but Povich has outperformed him this spring. They’ll need one of those pitchers to hold a rotation spot until Gibson is ready for regular season work.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported the $5.25MM base salary and the $1.525MM in incentives. Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner reported the start breakdown. Image courtesy of Jerome Miron, USA Today Sports.
Wow!
That’s a decent sign.
Kyle Gibson switches bird baths.
The Orioles fans are going to appreciate Gibson!!
He throws strikes. He’s a ground ball pitcher. With the Orioles Defense, Gibson fits the Orioles team like a Glove!!! No pun intended.
Good Luck Kyle!!!
This Cardinals fan enjoyed your work you did last season in St. Louis!!!
Yep, we had him the year before the Cardinals. Solid veteran signing. Still would’ve loved to have gotten a 1 or a 2, but they can still do that at in July.
Yes, nice solid signing for the O’s. The Yankees were definitely sleeping here again.
i was hoping the yanks would sign him.i dont have faith in cookie carasco.the orioles may not have a number 1 but they have good pitchers 1 thru 5 and now just added more depth.
Good for Gibson! Did the O’s need him though? Weren’t they having a 5th starter battle already?
DEEP depth, baby.
from what i read, it will be at least 4 weeks for him to ramp up.but you might find out more from a baltimore fan.it was a good move and im disapointed that cashman was sleeping again.
That’s cause number fives is all they got now. Eflin the only top of rotation guy and he’s at highest a number 2 pretty much any other team
Need all the pitching depth my O’s can get.
Guess like Alex verdugo has optional assignment since opening day next week
Solid. Meanwhile Cashman daydreaming
Nah. Cookie has been awesome through S.T.
16 IP, 1.69 ERA, 8 H, 15K/7BB including his outing this past Wed of 5 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 BB
He also has 4 HBP so the command hasn’t been there but the K’s are encouraging. Gibson will need a month to ramp up.
There’s no way Carrasco continues to pitch well into the regular season. He’s gotten absolutely hammered the last two and a half seasons. He’s 38 years old. This is just a mirage of spring training.
No doubt it’s S.T. and I would take Gibson over him. I don’t want Hal to use 110% tax as an excuse not to add at the deadline had they signed Gibson.
Matt Blake was Carrasco’s pitching coach in Cleveland, so what you’re seeing in ST may carry or to the regular season.
I disagree. The fact that Matt Blake was his pitching coach in Cleveland is not why Carrasco was successful in Cleveland. It’s because he was young and still had good stuff. He’s old and has very little left. Unless Matt Blake has a magic wand he’s not going to make any difference. The guy just doesn’t have it anymore.
Yes I was thinking the same thing. Good call Samuel!
99Captain Judge99:
Carrasco is washed. A pitching coach is not going to fix a 38-year-old who’s hanging on by a thread.
@BleacherCritter
Jake Fox sez ST stats are great indicators of how your season will go. He’s just waiting for his HOF induction.
Cookie is gonna be awesome.
Let’s hope so, Mac!
MacGromit:
For 2 1/2 years, Carrasco has been batting practice. But yeah one good spring training at the age of 38 and he’s going to be good again. Please let me bet against that.
in other words, we are not confident Grayson makes it back anytime in the near future
Probably
5.25 mil. Wow. Steal of a deal. Suarez got rocked tonight too. Oh, the timing of it all. Cool.
Yes and no. Pitchers who sign late and miss spring training often have down years. If I’m Elias, I’d be happy about the price of the contract, but I’d have wanted the player 5 weeks ago.
He should be ok. Veteran arm with a very recent history of pitching for the Orioles. A lot of routine already built in here.
Why are ppl so amazed abt this signing? He’s gonna suck and I’d rather see them roll with Cade povich or smt. Should’ve just signed Quintana smh
Povich will probably get plenty of starts. You can count on someone else getting hurt for at least a little while. Gibson gives them depth with Suarez probably better out of the bullpen eventually when Gibson is up to speed.
niched;
LOL…..Yes.
I love these depth chart people that come on before seasons start and believe a team will use 5 starters, and the closer and set-up guy will be in those positions all season long (the same for position players).
At LEAST 10 pitchers wearing an Oriole uni will start games this season. Some will start the year in their minor league system and some will be acquired during the season.
Unfortunately spring training is almost over and it will be until May before he is ready to join the rotation.
Yea, at that price though, worth it.
Tigers should have signed Gibson for this price tag instead of Alex Cobb for $15M…. Sometimes I do not understand what Detroits POB & FO are thinking, if they’re even thinking at all
At the time, Gibson was probably holding out for Cobb money. But I still don’t understand the Cobb signing.
Cobb much more upside. Higher k rate. Better for playoffs.
I like all the 5 million guys though. Gibson Quintana Heaney. Drop off to Perez maybe but not bad.
None can do what Cobb can potentially do though. Why he cost 15.
The better question is why not Kikuchi Montas who can do what Cobb can do but younger. Or Verlander Scherzer for more star power.
Gibson probably wasn’t and certainly shouldn’t have expected Cobb $. Probably couldn’t even get 5 until spring training injuries. You could get a lefty for 5 so why take Gibson over a lefty.
How long will grayson be out? Does he need tj & they are delaying it?
It doesn’t seem to be the elbow ligament since the pain he experienced was located in a different spot than where guys who ultimately need TJS complain of pain prior to surgery.
I think it might be more that they’ve lost faith in Albert Suarez’s ability to start, and after his spring, I don’t really blame them.
am i the minority here where i think this guy is just old and unimpressive?
I mean, I dont think there is anyone here who is under the impression that Kyle Gibson is this real good pitcher. Kyle Gibson is Old and a #5 starter. But he provides wholesale innings. That’s just what Gibson does. I think the reaction you are seeing in the comment section is a result of a cheap price tag in a market where average pitchers can make upwards of 15m per season.
Good 5th starters make 5 million. Heaney Quintana Perez. Others went first because they are left handed. With all the injuries the market for Gibson has increased.
Over his last 9 seasons, only once did he have a FIP under 4. And he’s been garbage in the postseason. He’s lucky to be pitching in this era.
Over that stretch, he’s averaged 160 IP per year with roughly league average production.
That has value.
I guess the FO believes that the clock has struck midnight for Albert Suarez, at least as a starter.
Welcome back, Kyle!
I want a new GM. This is like a knife to the gut. Sure Grayson may be out a while but this. No interest in extending Burnes or signing Snell or Fried. Its a mess of a team that maybe cant get a lead on another team in 5 playoff games. Even if they had a lead for an inning or two 5 losses no wins. Its not working. Yes some talented young players they probably wont extend but this combo of talent manager and front office is missing the mark. So what do you do? Let the guy who was the ace walk, sign nobody of importance and play ball. Its as if there is some bonus that will be paid for winning 86 to 91 games and not winning a playoff series. Great job. On target. Did the Os need a #7 starter? They already have Morton and Sugano both of which feel like 4 or 5s in a best case scenario. Dean is a 4 or 5. That is 4 guys. I like Eflin as a 3 but he is probably our 1. I really like Cade and his potential and would be fine with him getting some reps at the back of the rotation but he probably loses his spot to the rotation of adequacy.
They didn’t “let the guy who was the ace walk.”
Burnes specifically wanted to play in Arizona where his wife and infant twins live and went to the Diamondbacks and said “I want to play for you, please sign me.”
Baltimore doesn’t get 200m pitchers. Certainly not when they are losing the Nationals tv $.
Letting Burnes go and getting draft pick was A+ move. Contract has opt out yuck. Declining k’s really yuck.
He would gladly signed with Baltimore for more $. And if Toronto gave him more $ he would love Canada just as much as Arizona.
Declining k’s and unrealistic salary demands kept the smart teams away. Found a sucker in Arizona. Yankees Dodgers passed on him for someone else. Baltimore should be thankful they passed on him as well.
This is a fine signing in a vacuum but really adds nothing to an Orioles team chock full of 4 starters. Moves the needle absolutely none in the AL. The top AL teams outside Cleveland all have 2-3 starters better than our best. Bad sign for Grayson. It’s a good move given the situation but being in this situation is the real concern.
It’s depth. If Fried Crochet go down they would kill for a Gibson. Solid good #5.
Is the entire pitching staff just gonna be a bunch of 3, 4, 5 of the rotation? Lol. There is no ace or stud on that rotation and the only one with potential keeps getting injured
The most overrated team in MLB. Zero good young pitching, overrated prospects and a couple of great young players that will leave soon.Boston has pulled ahead ofthem for now and the future
lol no
the yankees or the orioles will win this division.now we can debate on wich one of them wins the east.if boston is lucky,they will be compeating for the 3rd wild card.and im being kind to them, by saying that much.
homer alert
The Cardinals let this slip for a $1MM buyout, blind to its compounding value in a contender’s ecosystem. It’s not sexy, but it’s ruthlessly logical.
They were never going to pay him 12 million easy call as it gets
Fat Albert sucks.
A bargain
(Extended exasperated sigh)
Orioles really need pitching. That rotation scares no one.
Not surprised. I had a feeling they’d bring him back but I’m not sure why they didn’t sign him sooner so he could actually be ready for opening day. But a lot of what they do in just don’t understand so this is par for the course.
Welcome back to Baltimore Kyle
They found their ace! Lmao!
Gibson costs 5 million. Morton costs 15. We shall see who is worth more, but hopefully, they both do well. I wonder why Elias is so afraid of getting a top pitcher, preferring the Trevor Rogers types.