5 Cardinals who could be waived before today's deadline

RHP Kyle Gibson

Kyle Gibson was another veteran starting pitcher signed by the Cardinals this past offseason. The hope was that Gibson, Lynn, and Sonny Gray would provide enough solid innings that a revamped bullpen and potentially potent offense could help the team win those games. For a time, this plan worked quite well.

Through July, Gibson had thrown 113.1 innings with a 3.97 ERA and 102 strikeouts across 20 starts. Those are numbers that most teams would be happy to see from a mid-rotation starting pitcher. In fact, Gibson, Gray, and Andre Pallante formed a strong top of the rotation up to that point. August has been quite a different story for the 36-year-old, however.

Gibson has thrown 27.1 innings in five starts in the month of August, and he has a 6.91 ERA during that time. Batters are hitting .302 against him, and they have a .918 OPS. He's given up six home runs, and those long balls have been the main reason for his downfall.

The Cardinals signed Gibson to a one-year, $13 million deal this past offseason with a club option for 2025. If the Cardinals were to waive him, they would save approximately $2 million. Gibson's August has made him a less attractive pitcher for playoff teams, but he could still help a team down the stretch. It's possible someone like the Baltimore Orioles, an organization he's familiar with, will take him to fill in some missing rotation spots.

Michael McGreevy, Gordon Graceffo, or Zack Thompson could backfill Gibson's spot in the rotation. At least one of those three pitchers will be fighting for a rotation spot next year, so giving someone a head start this year will help.