MLB Rumors: Kyle Gibson, Cardinals Agree to 1-Year, $12M Contract in 2023 Free Agency

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Coming into the offseason desperately needing to add depth in their starting rotation, the St. Louis Cardinals have reached agreement with veteran right-hander Kyle Gibson.

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported the two sides agreed to a deal. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers added Gibson will make $12 million with a team option for 2025.

The deal is similar to the one St. Louis handed out to Lance Lynn on Monday, which ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported will be worth around $10 million guaranteed and includes a team option for 2025.

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters at the general managers’ meetings earlier this month the team needed to add “at least two starters” this offseason.

It would seem unlikely that Gibson and Lynn will be the two big splashes that Cardinals fans are hoping for.

Mozeliak said at the time he would be willing to take a patient approach and potentially explore the trade market.

“I think for us, our checklist is starter, starter, and then let’s see what we look like,” Mozeliak said. “We do have some position-player talent and depth there. So, we also do want to explore the trade market just in case we aren’t successful on the [free-agent market].”

The Cardinals need impact starters, of course, but they also need depth. They are trying to fill 413 innings that were lost from Adam Wainwright’s retirement, Dakota Hudson hitting free agency and trading away Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty during the season.

St. Louis had the fifth-worst ERA (5.08) and second-fewest strikeouts per nine innings (6.92) from its starting rotation (5.08) in 2023.

Aaron Nola is the only top-tier free-agent starting pitcher who is off the market after returning to the Philadelphia Phillies on a seven-year, $172 million deal. The Cardinals were among the teams interested in the 30-year-old before he opted to stay with Philadelphia.

Gibson and Lynn should fill the back-of-the-rotation, innings-eater role in St. Louis. Gibson spent last season with the Baltimore Orioles. He tied for the AL lead with 33 starts and was sixth with 192 innings pitched.

While that volume will be valuable for the Cardinals, they need Gibson to improve on the 4.73 ERA and AL-high 198 hits allowed in 2023. He was named to the AL All-Star team with the Texas Rangers in 2021 before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies midway through the season.

The Cardinals finished last in the NL Central with a 71-91 record in 2023. It was the franchise’s first losing season since 2007 and its first time finishing last in the division since 1990.