Tigers sign starting pitcher Alex Cobb

The Detroit Tigers have signed starting pitcher Alex Cobb of Boston, Massachusetts to a one-year deal worth $15 million according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Cobb is also expected to get $1 million in bonuses if he pitches 140 innings in 2025, and another $1 million in bonuses if he pitches 150 innings in 2025.

Cobb has pitched 150 innings or more in a season four times in his career. He had 166 1/3 innings with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2014, 179 1/3 innings with the Rays in 2017, 152 1/3 innings with the Baltimore Orioles in 2018, and 151 1/3 innings pitched with the San Francisco Giants in 2023.

Interestingly, when Cobb has had a large workload, in three of those following seasons, he has barely pitched at all. Cobb missed 2015 with Tommy John surgery, only pitched 12 1/3 innings in 2019 with right groin strain, lumbar strain, and hip surgery, and three games in 2024 after suffering shoulder inflammation in his arm.

Sixth Major League Baseball team

Cobb previously pitched for five teams. He was with the Tampa Bay Rays from 2011 to 2014, and again from 2016 to 2017, the Baltimore Orioles from 2018 to 2020, the Los Angeles Angels in 2021, the San Francisco Giants in 2022 and 2023, and the Cleveland Guardians in 2024.

2024 with the Guardians

Cobb pitched three games with the Guardians and had a record of two wins and one loss with an earned run average of 2.76. In 16 1/3 innings. Cobb gave up 14 hits, five earned runs, one home run, and three walks, to go along with 10 strikeouts and a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.04. Cobb’s regular season wins came on August 14 (gave up one earned run in 5 2/3 innings in a 6-1 Guardians win over the Chicago Cubs) and on September 1 (gave up zero earned runs in six innings during a quality start in a 6-1 Guardians win over the Pittsburgh Pirates). In the win over the Pirates, Cobb had six strikeouts.

All-Star Season with the Giants

In 2023, Cobb was an All-Star for the first time in his career at age 35. He pitched 28 games, and had a record of seven wins and seven losses with an earned run average of 3.87. During 151 1/3 innings pitched, Cobb threw two complete games, and had one shutout. He gave up 163 hits, 65 earned runs, 19 home runs, 37 walks, and 131 strikeouts, to go along with a WHIP of 1.32.

Cobb’s complete games were in a 4-0 Giants win over the St. Louis Cardinals on April 24, 2023 and in a 6-1 Giants win over the Cincinnati Reds on August 29, 2023. The complete game shutout against the Cardinals for the Giants was the second of his career. The first came in a 5-0 Rays win over the Oakland Athletics on August 23, 2012.