SARASOTA, Fla. — The Orioles are bringing back a veteran presence in the form of right-hander Kyle Gibson, the team announced Friday. The signing adds late rotation competition from a familiar face, although Gibson won’t be in the mix to start for some time.

Gibson’s one-year deal is worth $5.25 million, with $1.525 million in incentives, according to a source with direct knowledge.

Gibson pitched for the Orioles in 2023 and posted a 4.73 ERA in 192 innings. He allowed an American League-high 198 hits during his 33 starts, but apart from four outings in which he conceded six or more earned runs, Gibson could be counted on to eat innings and limit the damage.

The 37-year-old covered 169 2/3 innings for the St. Louis Cardinals last season with a 4.24 ERA. And Gibson has pitched more than 140 innings in 10 of his 12 seasons in the majors, with the exceptions coming during the shortened coronavirus season of 2020 and his rookie year in 2013.

Gibson has stayed ready for an opportunity, but he wasn’t antsy for it, he said. With his wife, Elizabeth, and his four children, Gibson said they discussed what offers they might accept. Baltimore was one that appealed to them all, and the family floated the possibility about a week before general manager Mike Elias reached out. Two weeks later, Gibson arrived at camp.

“Playing at home last year [in St. Louis], I got a little spoiled, driving to the field every day and tucking the kids in and taking them to school,” Gibson said. “So we tried to find an opportunity that was more in the Midwest if it was possible, and those just didn’t come up. And then we talked about Baltimore. This was a place we really enjoyed. We knew the clubhouse really well. It was one of the places we thought, if there’s somewhere to play after playing in St. Louis, this is one of those places that would be pretty special.”

Gibson has pitched against college lineups this spring to build up his pitch count. Still, Gibson won’t be readily available for the Orioles, manager Brandon Hyde said Friday night.

“He’s going to have to go through pretty much a whole spring training type of ramp-up, so it’s going to be a while,” Hyde said. “He’s not going to be ready for a long time, so as you saw last year, it takes a lot of starters. We used a lot of starters last year. So just adding another rotation piece we felt like is important.”

On Saturday, Gibson said he has thrown four bullpen sessions with pitch counts from 50 to 70. He’s ahead of where he would normally be entering a spring training camp, although this, of course, is late March rather than mid-February. He’ll throw a few bullpens before facing live hitters in Sarasota.

“I think I do have the ability to speed it up an outing here and there,” Gibson said.

In a corresponding move, the Orioles placed right-hander Kyle Bradish, who is recovering from Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery, on the 60-day injured list.

Gibson’s addition doesn’t change the outlook for the opening day rotation. Left-hander Cade Povich and right-hander Albert Suárez are the final candidates to round out a group that features Zach Eflin, Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano and Dean Kremer.

Povich has made a strong case for that position. The 24-year-old finished the spring with a 3.07 ERA in 14 2/3 innings, and the only runs against him came in a troublesome fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays more than a week ago. In his final start Tuesday, Povich worked five no-hit innings against a Blue Jays lineup full of regulars.

Suárez had a rockier spring, although he spent time working on a new slurve. Suárez allowed 19 runs in 21 2/3 innings, including the eight runs he was charged with Friday in 4 2/3 innings against the Detroit Tigers.

“Probably make sure the breaking balls are more in the strike zone, and stay on top of the fastball,” Suárez said of adjustments he feels are necessary for when the games count. “Maybe mechanically a little bit, but not too much.”

Gibson was lauded for his leadership while with the Orioles in 2023, and whenever he arrives in Baltimore, he could once more be a mentor for a club that holds postseason aspirations.

“Kyle was amazing for us a couple years [ago] with what he did in the clubhouse but also how he took the ball every five days and kept us in almost every game,” Hyde said. “He’s an unbelievable leader. He had a good year last year in St. Louis, and I’m really happy about adding him back.”

With the way injuries have stacked up for Orioles pitchers, the more depth, the better. This spring, elbow inflammation for right-hander Grayson Rodriguez delayed his preparation for the season, and Rodriguez is only now getting back to throwing following his cortisone shot. Left-hander Trevor Rogers (knee) and right-hander Chayce McDermott (lat/teres) are also behind schedule. Like Bradish, right-hander Tyler Wells is recovering from an elbow operation.

Last year, 13 pitchers started games for the Orioles.

For how young the position players are, the rotation is full of experience. Morton is 41. Sugano is 35. Eflin is 30 but has played nine seasons in the majors. Add the 37-year-old Gibson, and there’s plenty of experience.

“I love watching the exciting young players, and I love watching guys that are making their way in the big leagues kind of come up and prove themselves,” Morton said. “I love watching that. But I really do cherish getting to play with guys that have spent a lot of their lives playing the game and learning themselves and learning how to pitch or hit or play and just becoming full-grown adults.”

This story has been updated.