Insider Claims It'd Be 'Genuine Surprise' If Cardinals Don't Re-Sign All-Star Hurler

St. Louis has some tough decisions to make this winter

Sep 17, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Matthew Liberatore (52) is congratulated by pitcher Kyle Gibson (44) after the final out of the eighth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have a busy schedule ahead of them as they look for new ways to revamp a once-well-respected and feared organization that has lost its way.

After having one of the lowest-scoring offenses in the National League and enduring an entire season with an elderly rotation that suffered several injuries, the Cardinals front office should have its hands full this winter.

Even though Cardinals fans demand change in 2025, an elderly rotation member seems unlikely to leave this upcoming offseason.

"(Kyle) Gibson has done exactly what he was signed to do," MLB Trade Rumors' Steve Adams wrote Friday when discussing the upcoming starting pitcher free agent market. "He’s eaten up innings and stabilized the back of the St. Louis rotation."

Gibson has logged an 8-8 record with a 4.24 ERA, 151-to-68 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .251 batting average against and a 1.35 WHIP in 169 2/3 innings pitched for the Cardinals this season.

"His strikeout and walk rates are a bit worse than average, but he still gets plenty of grounders and has by all accounts emerged as a leader in the Cards’ clubhouse," Adams continued. "It’d be a genuine surprise if his option isn’t picked up."

The soon-to-be 37-year-old has a $12 million club option with a $1 million buyout for 2025 that hasn't been discussed publicly yet.

It's expected that the Cardinals front office will elaborate on its winter agenda this upcoming Monday, so perhaps we'll soon know more about Gibson's future with St. Louis. For now, it seems likely he'll return to the mound at Busch Stadium next season but that could change.

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