Orioles Reunite With Veteran Starting Pitcher in Shocking Last Minute Deal

The Baltimore Orioles have reunited with one of their past pitchers.

Sep 30, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Kyle Gibson (48) stands on the pitcher's mound as rain falls during the second inning against the Boston Red Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

There have been questions about the Baltimore Orioles' starting rotation ever since Corbin Burnes hit free agency and departed for a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks that keeps him in his current home state.

Speculation surrounded the Orioles regarding if they would make another aggressive offseason move for a high-end starter, but instead of going that route, they opted for depth.

MLB veteran Charlie Morton and Japanese legend Tomoyuki Sugano were signed to short-term deals, giving this team a stable of starters behind the top two of Zach Eflin and Grayson Rodriguez.

But when the latter went down with an elbow issue that will keep him off the Opening Day roster, that has caused Baltimore to scramble.

So much so that they are reuniting with a familiar face.

As first reported by Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun, the Orioles have signed veteran Kyle Gibson to a one-year deal. Jon Heyman of The New York Post gave further details that this is for $5.25 million with around $1.5 million in incentives.

Gibson was a workhorse for Baltimore during the 2023 season.

While he wasn't spectacular with a 4.73 ERA, he ate important innings for the team by throwing 192 frames across his 33 starts.

The 37-year-old spent last season with the St. Louis Cardinals after signing a $12 million contract with a club option for that same amount in 2025.

Gibson was better for the Cardinals, posting an ERA of 4.24 and ERA+ that was one point below the league average of 100 across his 30 starts and 169.2 innings pitched.

How much of a factor the veteran starter is for Baltimore will be seen, but after the two agreed to a Major League contract, that should have him in the mix for a rotation spot almost immediately, likely keeping Albert Suarez in a bullpen role.

Things will have to get figured out once Rodriguez comes back, but with a clear need for more depth, adding Gibson on this type of deal won't hurt.

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