Alex Cobb's healthy return would provide rotation a big boost

When right-hander Alex Cobb signed a four-year deal for $57 million in March 2018, he was joining an Orioles team with a roster that included Manny Machado, Adam Jones, Jonathan Schoop, Mark Trumbo, Dylan Bundy, Kevin Gausman, Zack Britton and Brad Brach and hoped to contend in the American League East.

When he reported to spring training last February, he was with a very different-looking team - one that was rebuilding and was expected to finish in last place. Cobb made just three starts before his season ended, and the year was pretty miserable for him and pretty miserable for the team in the won-loss column.

But last spring the pitcher who came to the Orioles to contend for the playoffs seemed in very high spirits to be with the 2019 Orioles. He was ready to take the ball opening day and was ready to serve as a team leader. He was pretty excited about the year ahead of him.

Unable to pitch on opening day due to a strained groin muscle, Cobb lasted just the three starts during April before again landing on the injured list with a lumbar strain. A hip procedure in June officially put an end to his second season with Baltimore. He ended it with a 10.95 ERA.

After hip and knee surgeries last summer, the Orioles expect Cobb to be a full-go come spring training. In November, executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias provided this update on Cobb:

"He had a procedure that kind of shaves off some bone in his hip and it was impinging on soft tissue in his hip," Elias said. "He feels great. It's a pretty simple procedure. We expect that he'll be fully healthy in that regard. It's just going to be a matter of how built up his arm is and how many innings he's going to be able to provide us. But having him back for a number of reasons will be good."

A healthy Cobb would provide both innings and leadership for a rotation while it waits for the organization's young pitching prospects to graduate to the majors.

Cobb's first year with Baltimore ended with a 5-15 record, 4.90 ERA and 1.411 WHIP. But it was in the second half when Cobb pitched like an All-Star, providing encouraging signs for 2019.

In 11 starts after the 2018 All-Star break, he went 3-3 with a 2.56 ERA, .232 batting average against and 1.156 WHIP. His ERA was fifth in the American League among pitchers who made at least 10 starts after the break.

Before his season ended last year, Cobb was very upbeat in spring about new manager Brandon Hyde and the tone he had set for young players in Sarasota.

"I see guys all the time with much more skill set than some other guys," Cobb said then. "They come up, but for some reason are not able to capture that in the big leagues. We see prospects all the time fizzle out. And you wonder why, and it really does come down to that. Is that guy comfortable and is that guy able to relax and know that he is allowed to fail?

"I think when you know you are now allowed to fail, you take a deep breath and you are able to execute and fill your potential a lot easier. You know that starts with the manager, but it also goes into the clubhouse with the older guys and making sure those guys are doing the right thing. But making sure they can do it without the stressful nature of that."

Cobb also said he was very willing to take a leadership role on the pitching staff. He was really looking forward to it.

"It's hard to speak for everybody else, but I know in my own situation right now," Cobb said in March. "You sign up wanting to compete for four years with an organization. That didn't end up happening, so you sit back and kind of re-examine the path that is in front of you and what the organization is looking like.

"You realize that you are given an incredible opportunity to put on a big league uniform. What's in front of me right now is a bunch of young guys that would give anything to be able to be in the game as long as I have. So our job now is to help them fulfill the potential that they have and help them be able to get the life that we have from this game. It is a fun opportunity. We are building the foundation for this organization to grow. And getting the young guys going is the best way to do that, so I enjoy where I'm at."

Cobb didn't get to be around the team enough to take that leadership role or provide many innings in 2019. Maybe a year later he will have health, get a reboot and get a second chance to lead an O's pitching staff.