Tigers quickly learning the Alex Cobb reality that Guardians already knew

Last year, the Guardians acquired Alex Cobb at the trade deadline in the hopes he’d prove some much-needed reinforcement for the Guardians’ depleted pitching staff. 

But instead they only ended up getting 22 innings from him across the regular season and postseason due to a variety of injuries. 

While Cobb’s only output last year was those 22 innings (he was on the injured list when the Guardians acquired him at the deadline), the Detroit Tigers still signed him to a one-year, $15 million contract in the hopes he’d be able to anchor the middle of their rotation. 

But that hasn’t been the case, as he has yet to appear in a game this season and, according to a new update from the team, he’ll be working in a bit of an unfamiliar role when (or if) he returns this season. 

Tigers quickly learning the Alex Cobb reality that Guardians already knew

Earlier this week, Detroit manager AJ Hinch told reporters that Cobb will be used in a multi-inning relief role if he returns this eason. A fine role, fine, but not the kind of role they were expecting when they signed him in the offseason. 

“We shrunk down the expectations internally on how long he can go in a game,” Hinch said, per the Detroit News’ Chris McCosky. “We’re trying to see how the two- and three-inning stints go and how he bounces back from that.”

Cobb’s missed all of the season due to a hip injury that popped up during spring training, and he’s currently in the midst of a rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo. He’s made two multi-inning relief appearances for Toledo this year (he tossed three hitless innings of relief his last time out) and is set to make another one this weekend. 

At this point last year, Cobb had made two appearances for the Guardians before a fractured fingernail kept him out for a month. The Tigers would kill for that kind of production from him right now. 

That lack of production from Cobb hasn’t stopped the Tigers from having some success, however. The Tigers currently sit at an American League-best 76-59 and are 10 1/2 games up on the Guardians in the American League Central. 

While the Tigers’ starters have combined for a 3.65 ERA, which is the fifth-highest mark in baseball, it’s a total that’s a bit inflated thanks to the presence of Tarik Skubal. 

Skubal has a 2.32 ERA, has already cleared the 200 strikeout plateau and is on pace to win his second straight American League Cy Young. Meanwhile, the rest of their rotation consists of Jack Flaherty (who leads the American League in losses), Casey Mize (who had a 6.32 ERA in July), 41-year-old Charlie Morton and Chris Paddack. Not exactly a murder’s row.

But, as we found out earlier this week, Cobb won’t be joining that group. It shouldn’t be a surprise to any Guardians fans.