Cardinals Sign Former Baltimore Orioles Starter in Free Agency

After spending one season with the Baltimore Orioles, their former starting pitcher has found a new home in free agency.

One of the strategies that the Baltimore Orioles have employed during the past couple offseasons is adding back-end starting pitchers to their rotation to eat innings throughout the year.

Before the 2022 season, that player was Jordan Lyles. Before 2023, it was Kyle Gibson.

The Orioles got good outings from Gibson last year as he finished with a 15-9 record and ERA of 4.73 across 33 starts. He pitched the third-most innings of his career with 192, putting less stress on their bullpen during the long season.

Following the year, the 36-year-old expressed interest in returning to Baltimore, citing what they have built amongst the young group.

However, the Orioles decided to let him walk and Gibson has found his new home.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY, the right-handed veteran has signed a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Cardinals were reported to be aggressively pursuing starting pitching this offseason after having a disappointing year in 2023. They've been able to accomplish that in the short term, signing Lance Lynn earlier and now Gibson.

Those aren't the high-profile names that St. Louis was hoping to land, but it gives them more options for their rotation as they continue pursuing some of the elite arms that are still available on the market.

Coincidentally, Baltimore also finds themselves in that same camp as they were expected to be major players in pursing ace-level pitchers this offseason.

After getting a good year out of Gibson during the regular season, their pitching staff still faltered in the playoffs, signaling that there is still a need within the rotation.

Who the Orioles are interested in signing has been kept quiet so far as general manager Mike Elias navigates this offseason.