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Alex Cobb is only a year removed from an All-Star season with the San Francisco Giants, but the new Detroit Tigers pitcher admits that he considered retirement.
That is, before the Tigers gave him a $15 million contract.
2024 was a rough year for Cobb, who threw a grand total of 16.1 total innings for the Cleveland Guardians as he battled shoulder, back and hip injuries. He left Game 1 of the 2024 ALCS in the third inning with an acute lower back strain.
It was enough for him to consider calling it a career.
“Honestly, that was heavy on my mind after my last start,” Cobb told the Detroit Free Press. “I had to come out with another nagging issue. I definitely thought, after a year of battling, I didn't know if there would be much interest. Early on, when teams were calling, I was a bit surprised by the interest.”
The Tigers won the biding, signing him to a one-year deal that includes additional million-dollar-bonuses if Cobb hits 140 and 150 innings.
Now 37, Cobb said he's ready to get back to work.
“You get yourself back in the gym, you start working out and throwing again,” Cobb added, “and you convince yourself you can not only do this but do it at a very successful level where I expect to be. Everything feels great right now.”
Alex Cobb adds a veteran presence to the Tigers' rotation
The Tigers were aggressive in Cobb's pursuit because they wanted a veteran presence to bolster a rotation already anchored by reigning American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.
“We had exit interviews with our players after the season,” President of Baseball Operations Scott Harris told the Free Press. “It's a very common theme that we need to continue to add veteran presences to this team.
“We wanted to find someone with the pure stuff and experience and track record that could make our pitching staff better, but also be that type of positive clubhouse presence.”
But Harris brought Cobb in for more than just a veteran presence. He added that he sees “another gear” that Cobb can still reach and that the pitcher is “open-minded about making adjustments.”
On the other end, Cobb appreciated the Tigers' pitching development, pointing to how Jack Flaherty resurrected his career in his lone partial season in Detroit.
“I think we all saw — Flaherty had a couple of struggling years in the previous years, and then obviously figured something out here last year and was very impressive throughout the regular season and the postseason,” Cobb said. “I think every team pitches you on that idea.”
