Kyle Gibson is calling it a career after 13 seasons in the majors, making his retirement official on the Serving It Up podcast Thursday afternoon.
The right-hander opted out of his contract with the Tampa Bay Rays about a month ago, and now we know why he wasn’t looking to stick around for another year.
Gibson’s journey started back in 2009 when the Minnesota Twins grabbed him with the 22nd overall pick. It took him a few years to make it to the big leagues, finally debuting in 2013.
The Greenfield, Indiana native spent his first six seasons in Minnesota before testing free agency after 2019. That’s when he landed a three-year deal with the Texas Rangers.
His time in Texas produced his career highlight – an All-Star selection in 2021. But that same year, the Rangers dealt him to Philadelphia at the trade deadline.
From there, Gibson became something of a journeyman. He spent 2023 with the Baltimore Orioles, then moved on to the St. Louis Cardinals for 2024. Both of those last two stops came on minor league deals.
Gibson wraps up his career with a 112-111 record and a 4.60 ERA over his 13 seasons. He struck out 1,520 batters along the way.
Not a bad run for a pitcher who carved out more than a decade in the majors, even if he never quite became the ace some might’ve projected when he was drafted. Gibson was the kind of reliable starter every rotation needs – someone who’d take the ball every fifth day and give you a chance to win.
