To his credit, Gibson was better than expected. He posted a 4.24 ERA in 30 starts and 169.2 innings of work and even posted his highest strikeout rate (20.9 percent) since 2019. He was perfectly fine as a back-end starter, which is all the team could've asked of him.

When the St. Louis Cardinals succeeded in acquiring Nolan Arenado from the Colorado Rockies in early February of 2021, it marked the culmination of a years-long, behind-the-scenes effort that was designed to bring a next-generation Hall of Fame player to St. Louis in pursuit of a championship.

The St. Louis Cardinals are seeking to shed salary this winter, yet a low-cost former Silver Slugger could be just what the team needs heading into 2025.