MLB rumors: Cardinals sign Kyle Gibson to $12M deal, White Sox add veteran shortstop

With Thanksgiving just two days away, it’s entirely possible that the slow days wrapping around the holiday are beginning here on this Tuesday. The Padres have hired Mike Shildt as manager while a good number of free agents remain available, but the rumor mill is relatively quiet. 

Still, let’s round up the latest news and rumors. 

Fresh off signing free agent starting pitcher Lance Lynn on Monday, the Cardinals continue to bolster their rotation by signing free agent pitcher Kyle Gibson, reports Bob Nightengale. The deal is reportedly for one year and $12 million, per Jesse Rogers, and has an option for 2025. 

Gibson, 36, was 15-9 with a 4.73 ERA and 1.32 WHIP with 157 strikeouts in 192 innings last season. He led the AL in hits allowed, but made all 33 of his scheduled starts and carried a high workload, topping 190 innings for the third time in his career. 

The Cardinals ranked 26th in the majors in rotation ERA last season at 5.08 and it was well known heading into the offseason that they’d be seeking multiple starting pitchers. Surely the plan wasn’t to grab only Lynn and Gibson. Depth can be good, obviously, but both pitchers looked pretty subpar in 2023 and are north of 35 years old. 

The best guess, then, is the Cardinals are far from done dealing with the rotation this offseason, but at present it shapes up like this: 

The Cardinals finished last in the NL Central last season at 71-91. 

New White Sox GM Chris Getz is on the verge of adding another shortstop. The ChiSox and longtime Cardinal Paul DeJong are nearing an agreement on a major-league contract, according to the New York Post. The move comes after Chicago added shortstops Nicky Lopez and Braden Shewmake in the recent Aaron Bummer trade.

DeJong, 30, bounced from the Cardinals to the Blue Jays to the Giants this past season. He slashed .207/.258/.355 with 14 home runs overall, and has hit .192/.265/.353 in over 1,000 plate appearances since 2021. DeJong is not much of a hitter, though he is a gifted defender. Getz appears to be prioritizing high-end defense early in his GM tenure.

The White Sox declined their $14 million club option for Tim Anderson after the season, sending their longtime shortstop into free agency.