The Cleveland Guardians are on a quest for more starting pitching.
Yes, they signed Shane Bieber on a short-term deal, but they need more quality arms to compete and hang with the elite in the American League.
Two of the pitchers they employed last season from June onwards have found other landing spots.
First, it was Matthew Boyd who signed a two-year contract with the Chicago Cubs.
He had been one of the most consistent starters on the staff in the stretch run and the postseason.
Now, the Guardians suffered another blow when the Detroit Tigers, who compete with Cleveland in the same division, signed Alex Cobb to a one-year deal.
Free-agent right-hander Alex Cobb in agreement with Tigers on one-year contract, sources tell @TheAthletic. Deal is pending a physical.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 9, 2024
Cobb was the only pitching addition Cleveland made ahead of the trade deadline, and despite recurring problems with blisters, he was mostly effective when called into action at least in the regular season.
The veteran righty delivered a strong 2.76 ERA in 16.1 regular season frames.
The recovery from hip and shoulder issues took most of his 2024, then when he returned, his fingernails became a problem.
After the AL Division Series, he wasn’t used in the AL Championship Series due to a strained back.
Unfortunately for the Guardians, he really didn’t have a good postseason, having posted a 7.94 ERA in 5.2 innings.
Still, his career ERA is a perfectly solid 3.84 and it wasn’t a bad idea to bring him back on a cheap, short-term deal.
The Guards still have plenty of options left to improve their overall pitching depth, hopefully with a high-profile name.
Cobb won’t be one of them now.
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