Kyle Gibson Named Ideal Fit for Washington Nationals in Free Agency

Right-hander Kyle Gibson was recently named an ideal fit for the Washington Nationals

Sep 20, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Gibson (44) looks on after giving up a solo home run to Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez (not pictured) during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The Washington Nationals have been very quiet so far this offseason, but as a team with needs, that should change at some point. 

Coming into the offseason, the Nationals were a team that could go in a couple of different directions depending on how the organization viewed their roster. With a really talented young core, Mike Rizzo could have, and still can elect to spend big and go for it now. 

However, it seems like they are going to be taking a slower approach this winter and perhaps let the young core establish themselves some more. 

That isn’t a bad plan for Washington, as while talented, the youth in the organization might not be ready to be playoff contenders just yet. 

However, this is still a team with needs, with starting pitching arguably being the biggest. 

Recently, Brian Murphy of MLB.com named the ideal fit for the Nationals’ rotation, and he chose veteran free-agent Kyle Gibson. 

“In the rotation, Gore and Herz have swing-and-miss stuff, Irvin looked like an All-Star during the first half of 2024, and former Top 100 prospect Cavalli has a lot of untapped potential as he makes his way back from Tommy John surgery. If things break right, the Nats can compete for a Wild Card. But it would behoove them to add some veteran leadership to that quintet listed above, none of whom are older than 27. The 37-year-old Gibson certainly fits that bill. He was just about league average (99 ERA+) with the Cardinals this year and has reached 160 innings in each of the past six non-shortened seasons.”

The 37-year-old right-hander is by no means a star in the league, but he has pitched well of late and can certainly be useful for Washington. In 2024, Gibson totaled a (8-8) record, 4.28 ERA, and started in 30 games for the St. Louis Cardinals. 

Having a veteran who can eat innings over the course of a long season is crucial for saving a bullpen. 

While he hasn’t always been the most productive pitcher, Gibson has been a bit of a work horse, which will be important with Patrick Cobrin no longer on the team. 

Signing the right-hander isn’t the type of move that is going to send Washington into the postseason, but he can provide value in the middle to the back-end of the rotation. Adding a veteran who can be more productive than what they saw from Corbin in 2024 will also be a welcome sight. 

Gibson would likely only require a one-year deal at this point in his career, which will keep money available for next season when the Nationals might be more inclined to spend big.