Kyle Gibson relieved at ease of Cardinals move - "Of the 3 times I've been in free agency, this has been the least stressful"
After a slow start to the offseason, the St. Louis Cardinals made a splash this week by signing both Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn to one-year deals. Starting pitching one of the club's glaring weaknesses following several trades and free-agent departures, something they addressed with the pair of signings.
"In signing Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson, the #STLCards have added roughly 375 innings to their rotation and two decades of veteran experience for a combined $23 million. They've got their depth, which was critical to address. But they still need a formidable top of the rotation arm" - @katiejwoo
For Kyle Gibson, joining the St. Louis Cardinals is something that he had hoped would occur in his career. According to the veteran pitcher, his wife grew up in the city of St. Louis, so it was something they had discussed as a possibility at some point in his career.
Now, not only have Gibson and his wife been given the opportunity to make that dream come true, but he was pleasantly surprised by the ease with which the agreement came to fruition.
In a recent interview on the MLB Radio Network, Gibson said, "Of the 3 times I've been in free agency, this has been the least stressful."
"The St. Louis Cardinals continue to make offseason moves, signing free agent right-handed pitcher Kyle Gibson. Gibson shares more on his excitement joining the Cardinals organization: @Cardinals | #Cardinals" - @MLBNetworkRadio
The two parties have reportedly reached an agreement on a one-year contract valued at $12,000,000, which also includes a team option for the 2025 season. Gibson was a bit surprised by how aggressive teams were to get a deal done before Thanksgiving, but he was impressed by the approach of the St. Louis Cardinals.
A look at Kyle Gibson's 2023 campaign
The 36-year-old from Greenfield, Indiana, is coming off an effective season with the Baltimore Orioles, providing 192.0 innings. Those innings allowed the Orioles to preserve their bullpen throughout the season. Last season, he posted a 15-9 record with a 4.73 ERA and 157 strikeouts.
Although he will look to lower his ERA this upcoming season, Gibson has been a solid professional throughout his career. Both Gibson and the aforementioned Lance Lynn should be key rotational pieces for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2024.