There’s no reason for this former All-Star to still be on Orioles’ roster

When the Baltimore Orioles brought back Kyle Gibson in March on a one-year, $5.25 million deal, the move landed with little excitement and many more questions. Baltimore, fresh off two straight postseason appearances and standing on the doorstep of legitimate World Series contention, had every reason to aim higher. Fans were hoping for a splash — a statement signing or trade to push the Orioles over the top. 

Instead, they circled back to a veteran who, in all honesty, had already shown us who he was in his first go-round with the club. And who he was then — an innings-eater with a 4.73 ERA in 2023 — wasn’t nearly good enough for a team with championship aspirations.

This felt less like a contender’s move and more like something you’d see from a bottom-tier club. That’s not who the Orioles are supposed to be anymore. Or at least, that’s what we were led to believe.

Let’s be clear —  we’re not saying Gibson was terrible in 2023. He did what back-end starters are supposed to do. Take the ball every fifth day and eat innings. The problem? That role doesn’t move the needle for a team trying to win it all. And after a predictably mediocre 2024 with the St. Louis Cardinals, there was little reason to believe a reunion would bring anything different.

The Orioles’ gamble on Kyle Gibson has officially blown up in their face

Shocker, it’s somehow been even worse than anyone could have imagined. In just three starts this season, Gibson has been nothing short of a disaster, stumbling to a 0–2 record with an inflated 13.11 ERA and an alarming 2.49 WHIP. He’s managed to log only 11.2 innings while striking out just nine batters, consistently failing to give the Orioles anything resembling a competitive outing.

He was shelled for nine runs in his season debut against the New York Yankees, including five home runs in just 3 2/3 innings. He followed that up with equally uninspiring starts against Kansas City and Los Angeles, failing to pitch past the fourth inning in either outing.

This isn’t a small sample size problem. This is a “what did you think was going to happen?” problem. Gibson’s pitch-to-contact style doesn’t align with this Orioles rotation. It didn’t in 2023, and it certainly doesn’t now. With Grayson Rodriguez being the only true swing-and-miss threat and currently on the shelf, the last thing this staff needed was another veteran surviving on inducing groundballs. It’s a philosophical misalignment that has played out exactly as predicted.

But the bigger issue is what this move blocked. Young arms like Brandon Young and now a healthy Chayce McDermott should have been given a legitimate shot. Instead, the front office played it safe with a low-upside veteran retread, signaling a lack of urgency when this organization should be all-in.

Comfort over competitiveness is the message the O’s brass is sending. With every start Gibson makes, it feels like the Orioles are punting away games in the makings of a brutal American League East. They need upside. They needed reliability. Instead, they settled for less — and they’re paying for it, literally and figuratively.

At this point, the Orioles have seen enough. Kyle Gibson simply isn’t the answer. Frankly, he shouldn’t even still be on this roster. Every additional time he takes the mound is compounding the damage. It’s time to move on.

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