Cardinals Should Avoid Reunion With $13 Million Former All-Star

The Cardinals should not bring back this veteran pitcher.

Sep 20, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Gibson (44) looks on after giving up a solo home run to Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez (not pictured) during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals appear to be taking a step back from contention in 2025 and will instead focus on youth. The organization has described this period as a "reset."

To a degree, St. Louis is rebuilding, though it isn't a complete teardown. They have made clear that they will focus on their youth and rely on young players such as Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman, and Masyn Winn to carry them this year.

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted that if the Cardinals trade away some pitchers as a result of their rebuild, they could re-sign Kyle Gibson. However, even in the event of a trade, St. Louis should avoid a reunion with the 37-year-old.

Gibson made 30 starts for St. Louis in 2024, going 8-8 with a 4.24 ERA over 169 2/3 innings while also striking out 151 batters and posting a 1.35 WHIP.

However, if the Cardinals are truly focused on youth this season, then it doesn't make sense to bring Gibson back. They have young pitchers in the mix such as Michael McGreevy, Gordon Graceffo and Andre Pallante. Bringing back Gibson may block some of their young arms.

St. Louis also has a few promising prospects in Quinn Mathews, Tink Hence and Sem Robberse. It might be best for them to clear room for the young pitchers and give them a chance to make an impact on the roster in 2025.

It will be interesting to see what direction St. Louis takes, but they would be best served letting Gibson walk.

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