SARASOTA, Fla. -- As Minor League contract offers came in this winter, Kyle Gibson turned them away. The 37-year-old knew he could still pitch at the big league level, as evidenced by his 2024 season with the Cardinals. So he waited it out.

That wasn’t a chore by any means. No nerves or anxiety. Gibson was having fun spending time with his wife, Elizabeth, and their four children at their home just outside of St. Louis.

“As it took time, I probably joked with my agent too many times, the next guy that would sign, I would be like, ‘OK, well I’ve got to be next,’” Gibson said. “But it was all jokes, because I just was pretty content with where I was, you know? I kind of knew that if the right opportunity came up, then I’d have a decision to take it or not. And if opportunities didn’t come up, then you’re telling me I had to stay home with my kids and wife? OK. That wasn’t going to be a big deal. That was going to be a lot of fun, too.”

Gibson’s preference was to stay in the Midwest, if at all possible. He got used to the commute from home to Busch Stadium last year, when he also had plenty of opportunities to tuck his kids into bed at night.

But another thought popped into Gibson’s head during conversations with his wife: What about a return to Baltimore?

The 2023 campaign was among the most memorable of Gibson’s 12 MLB seasons. He served as a veteran leader and rotation anchor for an Orioles team that went an American League-best 101-61 and won the AL East. It was a great fit for all parties involved.

As fate would have it, Baltimore general manager Mike Elias reached out to Gibson’s agent about two weeks ago to discuss a potential reunion. The O’s were in search of pitching depth, and Gibson remained on the market.

A week of Gibson’s family dealing with the flu slowed the process. But it finally came together this week, with Gibson signing a one-year, $5.25 million deal with the Orioles on Friday night.

“As we talked about Baltimore, it was like, ‘This was a place we really enjoyed. We know the clubhouse really well,’” Gibson said. “It was one of the places where we thought, ‘If there’s somewhere to play after playing in St. Louis, this is one of those places that would be pretty special and fun to be a part of.’”

It will take some time before Gibson is a rotation option for the O’s again. He has been throwing bullpen sessions of 50 to 70 pitches, but he’ll need more before advancing to facing live hitters.

Once Gibson is ramped up, he’s already proven what he can bring to a staff. In 2023, he posted a 4.73 ERA in 192 innings over an AL-high 33 starts. Last year, he pitched to a 4.24 ERA in 169 2/3 innings over 30 starts for the Cardinals.

Gibson’s impact on an Orioles clubhouse that was quite young at the time of his arrival is still talked about to this day -- by manager Brandon Hyde, various players and others. But the kids were also a positive influence on the older Gibson, who embraced the team’s water-themed “Bird Bath” celebrations by spitting water onto the field from the top step of the dugout (along with the other starters) after O’s extra-base hits.

“I’m thankful that these guys welcomed us a couple years ago and we were able to have so much fun, because they had an impact on me, too, you know? In a lot of different ways,” Gibson said. “Hopefully, I can still fit in with these guys. I know I’m two years older now, so hopefully, they don’t hold that against me.”

A ripe 37 is nothing on a pitching staff that features four other hurlers age 35 or older, including 41-year-old right-hander Charlie Morton -- as well as Opening Day starter Zach Eflin (30).

“I’ve heard nothing but great things, and [Gibson] seems like a great dude. Phenomenal career. When I saw that, I was excited,” Morton said. “I mean, guys were talking about Kyle to me when I first got here. They were like, ‘Oh yeah, Kyle was this guy in the clubhouse. Gibby was one of the best guys I’ve been around. A great teammate.’”

“Thrilled. Absolutely thrilled. I think everybody in the clubhouse is thrilled,” said Eflin, who was teammates with Gibson in Philadelphia in 2021 and ‘22. “Everybody knows that Kyle Gibson is one of the best people on planet Earth.”

So as Gibson reintegrates himself in the Orioles’ organization, it shouldn’t take much time.

This was a perfect fit, and Gibson can’t wait for what could be another special season in Baltimore.

“Obviously, I was pretty excited,” Gibson said. “This is a place that was pretty special for my family in 2023, and then we didn’t hear from them for a few days and I kind of almost had thought, ‘Well OK, maybe that wasn’t meant to be and wasn’t going to happen.’ ...

“Pretty cool to be back here and to have so many welcoming faces and a lot of time to catch up.”