Cardinals add another innings eater to starting rotation, finalize deal with Lynn

One day after reaching an agreement with a former Cardinal on a return to fortify a lagging rotation, St. Louis has reached an agreement with another right hander whose local ties have long made a partnership feel like an inevitability.

Kyle Gibson, who led the American League in starts last season with 33 and won 15 games for the AL East Champion Baltimore Orioles, agreed to a free agent contract on Tuesday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported. The Cardinals announced the deal at a Tuesday afternoon press conference at Busch Stadium.

Gibson provided Baltimore with 192 innings over those starts. He led the AL in hits allowed with 198, but posted a fielding independent pitching mark of 4.13. That bested his ETA by more than half a run.

Gibson and Lance Lynn, who finalized his own one-year deal after taking a physical Tuesday, represent certainty of coverage. The Cardinals with these moves have acted decisively to shore up innings and now find themselves in a position to aggressively pursue higher end talent to lead their rotation.

An alum of the University of Missouri, Gibson makes his home in the St. Louis area in the off-season and has been active in countless charitable endeavors locally, including work with Big League Impact and The Players Alliance.