Former All-Star Shares Update as He Returns Back to Baltimore Orioles on One-Year Deal

Kyle Gibson, who spent the 2024 season with the St. Louis Cardinals, discussed what led him back to Baltimore and where he's at physically as Opening Day nears.
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Gibson (44) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in 2024.
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Gibson (44) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in 2024. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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The Baltimore Orioles made a significant move on Friday night, signing former All-Star right-hander Kyle Gibson to a one-year deal. Gibson spent the 2024 season with the St. Louis Cardinals but remained a free agent throughout the entire offseason.

Gibson's presence will help cover for some injuries in the O's rotation, including to Grayson Rodriguez and Kyle Bradish. Corbin Burnes and John Means have moved on in free agency.

Speaking with the media on Saturday, Gibson said he had thought for a while that Baltimore was an ideal landing spot, and he also said he's up to 50-70 pitches in bullpens.

Per Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner on social media:

Kyle Gibson said he has thrown four bullpens between 50 and 70 pitches, which will help his ramp-up. He’ll have more buildup here before he’s back in the mix.

Gibson and his family talked about Baltimore about a week before Mike Elias reached out. Two weeks later, he’s back

It's unclear if Gibson will need to open up the season in the minor leagues or if he's ready to go, but with Opening Day just five days away (March 27), we'll get answers soon.

Gibson, 37, is a 12-year veteran of the Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, Orioles and Cardinals. He made the All-Star Game in 2021 with Texas and owns a 112-108 career record. He's made 30 starts or more in each of the last three seasons. He pitched for the O's at the end of the 2023 season, helping them advance to the playoffs.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady.