The Baltimore Orioles agreed to a four-year deal with right-handed starting pitcher Alex Cobb, the team announced Wednesday. The contract is valued at $57 million and includes salary deferrals, according to Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com.
Cobb, 30, will also receive performance incentives and has a no-trade clause as a part of his contract, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.
After the likes of Jake Arrieta and Yu Darvish finally came off the board, Cobb was easily the most coveted pitcher left on the open market. He nearly had the multi-year deal he was seeking earlier in the offseason, too, but he reportedly rejected a three-year offer worth $42 million from the Chicago Cubs.
His results in 2017 were encouraging, too, as he had only pitched 22 innings in 2016 as he returned from Tommy John surgery. In his final season with the Tampa Bay Rays, Cobb went 12-10 with a 3.66 ERA and 1.22 WHIP while tossing 179 1/3 innings.
If Cobb slots into the top three of the rotation it'll be alongside homegrown talents Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman. Additionally, the Rays will get a compensation pick since Cobb rejected a qualifying offer last fall. With Cobb receiving close to $60 million, the Rays will receive a pick between the first round and Competitive Balance Round A:
#MLBDraft compensation for #Rays if Alex Cobb signs with #Orioles:
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 20, 2018
A) Deal ≥ $50 million: Pick btwn 1st Round & Comp. Balance Round A
B) Deal < $50 million: Pick after Comp. Balance Round B
O’s would lose 3rd-highest pick (currently #51).@MLBDraft order: https://t.co/6JYEas1tcc pic.twitter.com/O4nHOsZIDA
