Tampa Bay Rays: Alex Cobb may not get his desired contract
Every year, there are a few players who do not land the riches expected in free agency. Former Tampa Bay Rays starter Ale Cobb may be that pitcher this year.
Thus far, MLB free agency has moved at a glacial pace. Aside from Wade Davis and Carlos Santana, there has been little movement in regards to the top ten players that had been available. Rumors have certainly abounded, but so far, there has been a lot more smoke than fire. However, as we get closer to Spring Training, that will change, as free agents begin to want certainty for the following year.
And yet, every year, there are those players scrambling to find a home as the calendar turns to February. Those players who once expected to receive a large payday instead end up doing well, but not receiving those anticipated contracts. Former Tampa Bay Rays starter Alex Cobb may be one of those players this year.
At this point, Cobb has reduced his demands, and is willing to accept a four year contract worth $70 million. Instead, the only offer he has reportedly received came from the Chicago Cubs, a three year, $42 million contract that he turned down. As Cobb went into this offseason with designs on receiving a contract with an annual value of $20 million per, one can understand the hesitance.
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The problem is that Cobb is a risky proposition. While signing any pitcher to a long term deal has built in risks, those dangers may be even more pronounced with the former Rays starter. While he has performed well when on the mound, with a lifetime 48-35 record, along with a 3.50 ERA and a 1.217 WHiP, Cobb is not always a given to take the ball every fifth day.
Over the course of his career, Cobb has never reached the 30 start or 200 inning plateaus. The closest he came was last season, with a career high 29 appearances and 179.1 innings. In fact, he only has two seasons with over 25 starts and enough innings to qualify for the ERA title.
Any team bringing in Cobb will be hoping that he can be a difference maker. While not quite an ace, he is solidly in the second or third starter tier, a pitcher that will be expected to help lead his new franchise to the postseason. His career numbers indicate that he can be exactly that.
It is a matter of getting Cobb to the mound. He has already undergone Tommy John surgery, missing all of 2015 and making just five major league appearances in 2016. He had been hit in the head with a line drive in 2013, missing two months of the season. Cobb also missed time early in his career when he needed surgery to remove a rib that caused a blood clot in his chest. While he can still turn into that workhorse starter, given that he just turned 30 years old, his history would indicate otherwise.
Former Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Alex Cobb is looking for a large payday in free agency. He may end up disappointed.