SARASOTA, Fla. — Right-hander Kyle Gibson returned to the Baltimore Orioles after a one-season absence, agreeing Friday to a $5.25 million, one-year contract.

Reaching a deal less than a week before opening day, Gibson figures to join a rotation projected to include right-handers Zach Eflin, Charlie Morton, Dean Kremer and Tomoyuki Sugano.

Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez will start the season on the injured list because of inflammation in his throwing elbow.

Gibson, a 37-year-old, can earn an additional $1,525,000 in performance bonuses. He would get $150,000 each for 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 starts, and $125,000 apiece for 110, 120, 130, 140 and 150 innings.

He was 15-9 with a 4.73 ERA in 33 starts for the Orioles in 2023 on a $10 million, one-year deal, then agreed to a one-year contract with the Cardinals that included a $12 million salary. St. Louis declined a $12 million option for 2025 in favor of a $1 million buyout.

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Gibson is 112-108 with a 4.52 ERA in 324 starts and six relief appearances over 12 seasons with Minnesota (2013-19), Texas (2020-21), Philadelphia (2021-22), the Orioles and Cardinals.

Baltimore's rotation lost ace Corbin Burnes, who agreed to a $210 million, six-year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

His ability to eat innings is perhaps the reason Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias had interest in bringing Gibson back. He’s totaled at least 150 innings in every season since 2017, not including the 2020 campaign that was shortened because of COVID-19.

The Orioles didn’t bring back Gibson in 2024 as they instead traded for ace Burnes. Gibson signed with the St. Louis Cardinals and recorded a 4.24 ERA with 151 strikeouts in 169 2/3 innings. It marked Gibson’s lowest ERA in a season since 2021, when he was an All-Star.

The Baltimore Sun contributed to this report.

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