Alex Cobb is likely nearing the end of his MLB career, but as of now, he’s a free agent. While there’s a strong chance the Detroit Tigers could just bring Cobb back, here’s the breakdown of the possibility that the San Francisco Giants come in and sign him instead.
Now, with the Giants, they’re a team that could really use some veteran pitching. Cobb is one of many options, and ideally, the Giants would bring in someone like Walker Buehler, but that’s not a guarantee by any means.
For that reason, we’ll be breaking down why Cobb isn’t that bad of an option either, assuming he’s planning to return after having hip surgery this past year.
This is a PREDICTION, not a REPORT.
More MLB Content From TWSN
The Dream Free Agent Signing For Every MLB Team
No, The Los Angeles Dodgers Aren’t Ruining Baseball
The Los Angeles Dodgers Are The Greatest Dynasty Of The Last 10 Years
Alex Cobb Joining San Francisco Giants in MLB Free Agency
When Cobb last took the mound in 2024, he only pitched in three games due to injury, which isn’t what you want to see from a veteran pitcher. While it’s a small sample size, it’s worth noting the 2024 stats from Cobb.
Cobb had 0.3 WAR, a 2-1 record, and a 2.76 ERA in three games. Good numbers, but again, it’s such a small sample size.
When you go look into Cobb’s Baseball Savant page, his advanced numbers aren’t quite as impressive, though. Cobb had an xERA of 5.04 and an xBA of .282. Not exactly ideal.
The reason why Cobb is such an interesting case is that he had a really strong year in 2023. During that season, Cobb had 2.5 WAR, a 7-7 record, and a 3.87 ERA in 28 games. Cobb also earned his first and only All-Star nod that year.
With Cobb, it’s a difficult conversation because when he’s been healthy, the production has been there. Throughout Cobb’s entire MLB career, he’s been a very strong starter.
At this point, though, it seems like these injuries and Cobb’s age are starting to catch up to him. With that in mind, the Detroit Tigers could realistically let Cobb go, given that he’s never pitched for them, and it’s not as if there’s some strong attachment between the two sides.
How Alex Cobb Fits with the San Francisco Giants
The reason that Cobb would sign with the Giants is the same reason the team should go after Buehler.
Here’s the key takeaway from that previous article: “With Verlander, he’s 42 years old and also a free agent, so the Giants really have two pitchers they can rely on. If Buehler is able to build off his end of last year, he would be the perfect third starter to replace Verlander.”
The thing with Cobb is that they would want to bring on one other pitcher to some extent to pair with Cobb. Even with Buehler not having a perfect injury history, he’s just 31 years old.
Again, Buehler is the better option by quite a large margin, but if the Giants are in desperate need to sign another pitcher to help them contend, Cobb is a very reasonable dart throw.
Alex Cobb Stats
Cobb has now been in the MLB for 13 years with some respectable stats over that time. In that span, Cobb has 19.4 WAR, a 79-76 record, and a 3.84 ERA.
Although Cobb doesn’t have an elite resume, he’s been a good piece for a number of pitching staffs over his career. If things don’t break right for the San Francisco Giants, signing Alex Cobb in MLB Free Agency is an option that they should consider, in hopes that his hip issues are behind him.