Jones on Cobb: "We've long searched for someone of his caliber"

TAMPA - Adam Jones only knew about Alex Cobb from the opposite dugout, the batter's box, the usual chatter that exists in pregame and among friends. He politely asked the media today to wait until he met Cobb before commenting on his new teammate.

"I've only see him in battle between the lines," Jones said afterward. "We haven't said too many words while we were playing against each other. Nice, firm handshake, solid hug, very manly, very teammate-esque."

So far, it's a solid scouting report.

Cobb signed a four-year contract that pays $57 million and includes $20 million in deferred payments, according to an industry source. He took his physical yesterday and this morning.

"It's good that we were able to get something done with a guy of his caliber, first and foremost," Jones said. "We've long searched for someone of his caliber. Obviously, we've added (Andrew) Cashner and when you've added Cobb, that's two guys who have been around and thrown a lot of important innings. Cobb, most importantly has thrown every inning of his career for an AL East team, so he knows this division. He knows these ballparks. He knows the lineups. He knows the travel schedules, so he knows the hotels. Small things like that, familiarity should help him and his family.

"Baltimore is a pretty easy transitional city, so hopefully he makes an easy transition and does what he continuously does or has done with the Rays for us."

The Orioles have added Cashner and Cobb and re-signed Chris Tillman in the span of a month. Criticized over the winter for residing in the middle ground, they are trying to contend again in 2018.

"It shows that obviously there's still a commitment to winning," Jones said. "You might not like the style, the patience, but everybody's patient. There's still a lot of players out there. Everybody's patient, and obviously we've been noted for being more patient, more passive.

"I like the scenario. I like the fact that they risked four years. They went up to four years. That means that 'OK, cool.' This is a step. This is not a one-year, two-year deal to just hold you over until someone's ready. This is a four-year deal saying that you can possibly be one of the anchors of the staff. That right there is a sign. It's a very good sign for the future for the other players."

Negotiations carried through the offseason. The Orioles made it clear that they didn't endorse giving pitchers four-year deals after Ubaldo Jiménez failed to live up to his contract, but they relented as Cobb stayed on the market.

"We just came off four years with Ubaldo," Jones said. "At the time, everybody said we got a bargain. We got a bargain deal because he wanted more, free agent market said he wanted more. It didn't work out in the best way for us in some things. Some things it did. I think this could be a little bit different.

"I think it could be a lot different, because he's pitched in this division. He's had a steady career, so hopefully he'll do the same thing he's done. I'm tired of him on my hands. Hopefully, he can stay on the hands of the opponents and give our bullpen rest, because he's generally been a guy who goes out there and goes six, seven innings, 100 pitches in most of his starts and gets some weak contact, so I think it's good for both sides.

"He has a good defense remaining for him here as he had in Tampa, so I think he can rely on when the ball is put in play, the right outs will be made routinely as he's seen in Tampa."

The Orioles also made a run at Lance Lynn, who settled for a one-year, $12 million deal with the Twins.

"When it came down to who, obviously people were like, 'Do you want Lynn, do you want Cobb?' Both," Jones said.

"You're getting somebody. Both guys are tremendous competitors. When you see Lynn sign, you're like, OK. When you see what he signed for, you just think we could have done that. I don't understand the business side of it, but we all think as competitors. Then you see, OK, he's off the market. Now you think to yourself, could something happen where we really get this dude?

"We hear people talk in the clubhouse, on the field and various things just about what kind of guy this would be for our club and we ended up getting him. Finally, one of our thoughts we spoke into existence kind of thing."

For the Yankees
Brett Gardner LF
Aaron Judge DH
Greg Bird 1B
Giancarlo Stanton RF
Gary Sánchez C
Didi Gregorius SS
Aaron Hicks CF
Neil Walker 2B
Ronald Torreyes 3B

Luis Cessa RHP