Orioles turn to familiar face to strengthen collection of arms in rotation

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles were on the brink of exploding, and in a good way. This wasn’t dissension. It was celebration.

They won 101 games and the division in 2023, stomping the rebuild into submission. The champagne was on ice after the clincher and players were handed goggles in the clubhouse to protect their eyes.

“You don’t need glasses,” veteran pitcher Kyle Gibson shouted. “The burn’s the best part.”

Now that’s leadership.

Free agency appeared to burn Gibson but he’s returning after signing a one-year contract last night for $5.25 million. Injuries dug into the Orioles’ depth. Gibson is one of the remedies. It just won’t be immediate with the need to undergo his own spring training and ramp-up.

The Orioles let Gibson walk away last winter and traded for ace Corbin Burnes. Opening Day is less than a week away and Gibson was unemployed, but he landed a pretty sweet deal considering the lateness of it. And he’s back at a place that he loved.

Something had to be done to address the losses among the starters. The Orioles already knew that Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells would go on the injured list, with the former placed on the 60-day last night. They didn’t expect Chayce McDermott (lat/teres) and Trevor Rogers (knee) to arrive in camp with ailments that would prevent the pair from pitching. They didn’t know that Grayson Rodriguez would experience discomfort behind his right elbow, receive a cortisone injection and restart his spring training by playing catch the past few days.

Manager Brandon Hyde joked that he wanted to put bubble wrap around everyone on the team. A moving truck pulled out of the complex last night, a signal that spring training is nearing its conclusion. Hopefully, the driver left some of it behind. 

Gibson reportedly has been throwing batting practice to college hitters, so he’s got the arm in shape, but there’s no substitute for a full camp. His impact is down the road like that moving truck.

“It’s gonna be a while,” Hyde stressed last night.

That point was made again when a reporter asked whether Gibson’s signing was tied to another injury in the rotation.

“He’s not gonna be ready for a long time,” Hyde said. “As you saw last year, it takes a lot of starters. We used a lot of starters last year, so just adding another rotation piece we felt like is important. Anything can happen.”

Thirteen Orioles made starts last season, to be exact, including Matt Bowman’s brief gig as an opener. McDermott was one-and-done after his major league debut.

There’s nothing sexy about bringing back Gibson but it makes sense given the circumstances. He isn’t a fast plug into the rotation. No one arriving this late can be counted on right away. But he will bring value when it’s time, the innings and the intangibles.

Back in 2001, the Orioles unveiled the slogan “Come See the Kids” in an attempt to push their prospects in front of fans and distract from the losing. The 2025 team should promote the dads.

Gibson is 37, Charlie Morton is 41, and Tomoyuki Sugano and Albert Suárez are 35. Zach Eflin is only 30, but he has four kids under 3.

Here’s the really interesting part: There’s a bunch of durable innings-eaters in this group.

Morton and Gibson are among the seven pitchers to make at least 30 starts in four straight seasons. The rest are Toronto’s Kevin Gausman and José Berríos, San Diego’s Dylan Cease, Philadelphia’s Aaron Nola and Texas’ Patrick Corbin. Gibson totaled 192 innings with the Orioles in 2013 and no one in the AL exceeded his 33 starts.

Wins don’t matter anymore for a pitcher but he had 15 of them.

Gibson and Morton have combined for 713 appearances and 3,991 1/3 innings. And no, they won’t insist on eating their pre-game meals at 4 p.m.

The Orioles must set their Opening Day roster by noon Thursday. They could bring in another reliever like they did with Danny Coulombe two springs ago in a cash transaction. And especially if they hold back Félix Bautista and if Suárez goes back into the rotation.

The group of starters was thinning like a veteran pitcher's hairline. The Orioles knew which number to call.