MLB free agency — Alex Cobb
Several teams were linked to Cobb early in the offseason. But, as the case has been for every pitcher, those rumors dissolved after a few weeks.
It’s clear Cobb hasn’t been as dominant as he was in 2013 and 2014. Yet, like Arrieta, he is still a solid mid-rotation guy.
Cobb’s stats were littered with red flags in 2017. Since his return from Tommy John surgery, the righty’s notched fewer strikeouts per nine innings. And, because he no longer boasts electric stuff, he allowed more hits and home runs, which resulted in more runs overall.
However, there are some promising aspects left in his game.
The 29-year-old limited his walks allowed, and he pitched a career-high 179 innings last season. And he still posted a better ERA than higher-tier guys, such as Yu Darvish, Michael Fulmer, and Chris Archer.
Even some contenders could use Cobb as an asset in their rotation. Both the Mets and Yankees were recently connected to the pitcher. Whether either team will continue to pursue is another question.
But someone will take a chance on Cobb. Even though he may not regain the stuff he had five years ago, he can still be a consistent addition to any squad.
Lance Lynn
Fans didn’t write off Lynn, but he didn’t gain much recognition last season. Coming off of Tommy John surgery, he posted a decent 3.43 ERA across a hearty 186 1/3 innings pitched.
Lynn and Cobb are in a similar boat. Both aren’t as dominant as a result of surgery, but they are still reliable options.
However, teams might be looking at how lucky Lynn was last season in his return to the league. While his peripheral numbers look appealing, he did sport a 4.82 FIP, which is unimpressive.
The long ball never hounded Lynn as much as it did last year. He yielded a career-high 27 bombs in 2017, which ranked toward the bottom of the rankings in that category. The 30-year-old also allowed more walks per nine innings than any other year.
Nevertheless, Lynn made some strides last season that will keep teams interested.
Though he didn’t rack up as many strikeouts as he has in the past, he allowed fewer hits per nine innings. More importantly, he pitched throughout the entire season, which is an accomplishment in itself.
If he remains healthy, Lynn will be another solid piece in a rotation like this. Ultimately, while he may not return to pre-surgery status, he can figure out how to be as dominant without overpowering stuff.
He figured part of it out last year, but he still has some work to do.