Veteran pitcher Kyle Gibson (38), acquired by the Baltimore Orioles through free agency, has been released after being designated for assignment (DFA). Baltimore abandoned Gibson after just four games, wasting $5.25 million, or approximately 720 million won.

Baltimore released Gibson on the 21st (Korea Standard Time). Although Baltimore DFA'd Gibson on the 18th, no teams emerged during the waiver period wanting to claim him. By releasing Gibson, Baltimore will have to pay the full $5.25 million salary for this year.

Gibson, a right-handed pitcher who was selected 22nd overall in the first round of the 2009 draft by the Minnesota Twins, quickly established himself as a key starter after debuting in 2013. Starting with 13 wins in 2014, he is a veteran with double-digit wins in nine seasons.

After leaving Minnesota, Gibson played for the Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore, and St. Louis Cardinals, accumulating 330 games (324 starts, 1,865⅔ innings) with a record of 112 wins and 108 losses, an earned run average of 4.52, and 1,510 strikeouts over 12 seasons.

Last year, Gibson had a solid season with St. Louis, making 30 appearances (169⅔ innings) with an 8-8 record and an earned run average of 4.24, along with 151 strikeouts, and was re-signed by Baltimore for one year at $5.25 million on March 23. When injuries occurred to starters such as Grayson Rodriguez (elbow) and Albert Suarez (shoulder) during spring training, Baltimore brought in Gibson, who was still available in the free agency market.

Gibson, who had no spring training and made just one appearance in high Single-A before moving up to the major leagues, crumbled from his very first game. On the 30th of last month against the New York Yankees, he gave up back-to-back-to-back home runs to Trent Grisham, Aaron Judge, and Ben Rice, yielding 11 hits (5 home runs), 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, and 9 earned runs over 3⅔ innings, and suffered a significant defeat.

In his next outing on the 5th against the Kansas City Royals, he allowed 5 hits (1 home run), 1 walk, 3 strikeouts, and 3 earned runs over 4 innings without a decision, but he took a loss against the Los Angeles Angels on the 11th, giving up 7 hits (1 home run), 3 walks, 4 strikeouts, and 5 earned runs over 4 innings.

The game against the Washington Nationals on the 18th was his last. That day, he pitched ⅔ of an inning, allowing 6 hits, 1 walk, and 1 strikeout, giving up 6 earned runs, and was pulled before even completing one inning. In all four games, he failed to pitch five innings, resulting in 3 losses and a dismal earned run average of 16.78.

After the game against Washington, Gibson said, "Physically, I'm fine. It's frustrating that my pitch quality is actually decent. The last 2-3 weeks have been a frustrating time to the point where I don't know how to express it." Although his primary sinker’s average velocity increased from 90.7 mph (146.0 km) last year to 90.9 mph (146.3 km) this year, he continued to be frequently hit.

Tony Mansolino, Baltimore's interim manager, noted on the 19th regarding Gibson, who was DFA'd, "Last year, several star pitchers who signed late struggled. It seems Gibson is in a similar situation. He would certainly be a help if he remained with the team," as he saw a chance for Gibson to stay after passing through waivers, but he was ultimately released.

Now a free agent, Gibson must find a new team. Since Baltimore will bear the full salary for this year, any team that signs Gibson only has to pay an amount proportional to the league minimum salary during the roster registration period.

It cannot be overlooked that Baltimore abandoned Gibson after just four games, resulting in a waste of money. With a team earned run average of 28th (5.53) this year and a starting pitching earned run average of 29th (6.00), the Orioles' pitching staff has collapsed. Although they won 8-4 against the Milwaukee Brewers on the 22nd, breaking an 8-game losing streak, they remain at 16 wins and 32 losses (.333), sitting last in the American League (AL) West.

On the 18th, they made the bold move of firing manager Brandon Hyde, who led the team for seven years, but even under interim manager Mansolino, the team has achieved only 1 win and 4 losses, showing no significant rebound.

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