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Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown is fond of say that he is always on the lookout for pitching. Every single team experiences injuries to their pitching staff throughout the course of the season and having pitching depth is a big deal. However, the Astros' starting pitching situation is a bit more concerning than usual heading into 2025.
Losing Justin Verlander and Yusei Kikuchi, while waiting for good news on the recoveries of Luis Garcia, Cristian Javier, and Lance McCullers Jr., Houston is in a really tight spot. Framber Valdez, Ronel Blanco, and Hunter Brown is a nice core, but the Astros will struggle to cover innings in the early-going.
Bleacher Report agrees. The outlet recently released a projected Opening Day for the Astros and predicted that Houston would sign Kyle Gibson. While there are worse ideas, Gibson also comes with some problems.
Astros Opening Day roster prediction featuring Kyle Gibson is less than ideal
On the surface, Gibson looks like he's a good fit for the Astros. At 37, Gibson won't be an expensive addition, and he is a mortal lock to give you 30-plus starts and 170ish innings every season. That does have value, and at the right price, Gibson could be worth the risk.
Kyle Gibson, Painted 90mph Front Door Sinker. 🖌️🎨 pic.twitter.com/0PWRbzRLpA
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 8, 2024
But Gibson has averaged a 4.68 ERA the last three seasons and is an aging soft-tosser. He does not miss a lot of bats and has a penchant for giving up the long ball. Putting Gibson on a roster that plays with the Crawford Boxes at home has a real change to get ugly in a hurry. Combine that with a spike in his walk rate during the 2024 season, and you now have several red flags.
Gibson played last season with the St. Louis Cardinals after signing a $12 million deal. His struggles — along with the Cardinals' who stink out loud — led St. Louis to decline his $12 million option for this season. If Gibson is willing to play on a significantly cheaper deal in 2025, the Astros should be interested. Gibson may have a reputation as a workhorse, but the quality of those innings really matters on a contender.