The Chicago Cubs added Kyle Tucker to their lineup and revamped much of their bullpen over the offseason, but they didn't do much to address their starting rotation other than signing Matthew Boyd in free agency. With that in mind, former St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Gibson was reportedly "on their radar," according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Patrick Mooney. Gibson instead landed with the Baltimore Orioles, inking a one-year deal with them. Well, with him being DFA'd on Sunday, it's safe to say that the Cubs dodged a bullet by missing out on signing him.
To say Gibson's second stint in Baltimore was a disaster would be a massive understatement. He allowed 23 runs on 29 hits in four starts across 12.1 innings of work, putting up a 16.78 ERA and a 2.219 WHIP. The Orioles paid him upwards of $5 million to give them four putrid starts.
To put it simply, the fact that a team like the Orioles, who are starved for starting pitching, was comfortable cutting Gibson after just four starts shows how brutal he looked on the mound.
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Cubs benefitted from Kyle Gibson whiff
At the time, Gibson did make some sense for the Cubs. They did add Boyd over the offseason, but Javier Assad missed much of the spring with an oblique injury. Starting pitching depth has never been more valuable than it is now, and while Gibson wouldn't be an ace, he figured to be a fine enough back-end arm.
Last season for the Cardinals, the right-hander posted a 4.24 ERA in 30 starts and 169 innings of work. Again, he wasn't flashy, but he gave the Cardinals consistent length, which is incredibly valuable.
Cubs should be thankful Jed Hoyer didn't pay Kyle Gibson
In hindsight, though, based on what Gibson did in Baltimore, the Cubs dodged a bullet. Their need for starting pitching has never been greater as both Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele have joined Assad on the IL, but Gibson giving up six runs while being unable to get out of the first inning like he did his last time out wouldn't have been helpful at all.
Whether the Cubs ever made Gibson an offer is unclear, but the fact that he was "on their radar" shows that there was at least some interest there. The Cubs need starting pitching depth, but they need a whole lot more than what Gibson can provide at this point. Missing out on him was a blessing in disguise, in hindsight.