Ex-Cardinals Starter Predicted To Sign $12 Million Deal With Surprise Team

Where will the former Cardinals hurler go?
Sep 11, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA;  A detailed view of the 9/11 ribbon on a St. Louis Cardinals hat in the dugout before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Sep 11, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; A detailed view of the 9/11 ribbon on a St. Louis Cardinals hat in the dugout before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals' starting rotation surely is going to look different in 2025.

The Cardinals began the offseason by turning down club options for the 2025 season for Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson. Both remain on the open market in free agency. There's still over a month before Spring Training kicks off and neither have signed deals yet.

Gibson is known as an innings eater and definitely will land an opportunity with a team for the 2025 season. It's unknown why things have moved so slowly in free agency, but Just Baseball's Ryan Finkelstein ranked Gibson as the 17th-best free agent still out there and predicted he will sign a $12 million deal with the Athletics.

"Contract Prediction: One-year, $12 million," Finkelstein said. "Team Prediction: Athletics...The A’s should take their money and buy as many quality MLB innings as they can, and Kyle Gibson can provide them. He’ll take the ball every fifth day and your team will have a chance to win on a good portion of them. When he doesn’t, he will save the bullpen by wearing it on occasion as well.

"Look up at the end of the season and a $12 million investment got you 160 innings of a mid 4.00’s ERA. It feels like a no-brainer that the A’s will add at least one of the veteran starters left, whether it’s Gibson or one of the names coming up."

The Athletics already have surprised the baseball world this offseason with the amount of spending they already have done. Why not make another move?

More MLB: Ex-Cardinals Star Paul Goldschmidt Pens Heartfelt Letter To St. Louis Fans


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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu