Report: Orioles staying in contact with Cobb, who wants multi-year deal
There's one marquee free-agent pitcher left on the market, and the Baltimore Orioles - who are still searching for one more starter - appear to be chasing him.
Baltimore has reportedly remained in contact with right-hander Alex Cobb, who is still trying to find a home for 2018 and beyond, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN.
It's not clear how advanced any negotiations may be, but Kubatko reports that the Orioles are aware Cobb still wants a multi-year deal despite the state of the free-agent market. Matching the deal Lance Lynn ultimately got from the Minnesota Twins this week - one year, $12 million - reportedly won't be enough to bring Cobb to Camden Yards. However, the Orioles apparently spoke with Lynn "at length" about a two-year deal right up until he decided to join the Twins.
The Orioles have been connected to Cobb over the course of the offseason as they continue to search for additional starting pitching. While they did make one addition over the winter by signing Andrew Cashner to a two-year deal, and also brought back Chris Tillman, their rotation remains the weakest area of their roster. Last year, Orioles starters put up a collective 5.70 ERA - by far the worst mark in baseball.
Orioles' projected 2018 rotation
| Pitcher | Proj. IP | Proj. ERA | Proj. WHIP | Proj. K/BB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dylan Bundy | 175.0 | 5.00 | 1.37 | 154/60 |
| Andrew Cashner | 140.0 | 5.41 | 1.54 | 90/54 |
| Kevin Gausman | 183.0 | 4.50 | 1.35 | 167/61 |
| Chris Tillman | 114.0 | 5.69 | 1.56 | 77/48 |
| Mike Wright | 73.0 | 5.33 | 1.45 | 54/26 |
(Steamer projections courtesy: Fangraphs)
Should Baltimore give Cobb the multi-year contract he apparently desires, it could represent a late win for the players after a rough offseason. With only a few notable exceptions (Cashner, Jake Arrieta, Yu Darvish, and Tyler Chatwood), multi-year deals have been hard to come by for starting pitchers. Arrieta and Darvish only got their deals once spring training began, and Lynn wound up settling for his one-year contract this week.
Cobb, a veteran of the AL East after six years with the Tampa Bay Rays, posted a 3.66 ERA and 1.221 WHIP while striking out 128 in 29 starts last season, his first full year since undergoing Tommy John surgery.
While he hasn't signed yet, multiple teams have reportedly shown interest in the 30-year-old at various points this winter, and Cobb himself said in January that he'd had serious talks with 15 teams. A report that same month suggested he turned down a $42-million offer from the Chicago Cubs.