Breaking: Alex Cobb TRADED to Angels for Jahmai Jones

[Chuck]

5 minutes ago, Pancake Bear said:

Just speculating a little bit here.

While Cobb is getting a bit older for a pitcher, he has been pretty decent in the past. FIP doesn't like him because he pitches to contact and doesn't strikeout guys much. He was pretty solid up to 2014. Missed 2015 with TJS, but only got surgery done in May, so missed most of 2016 also. His ending of 2016 was understandably crappy. But he was really good in 2017, his last year for the Rays. Since going to the O's, his results have taken a nosedive. I'm not sure if his velocity has taken a dump or anything, but with a pitch to contact type, bad pitch selection and poor coaching could make a significant difference. 

That said, in actual results, his ERA with Baltimore is comparable to Bundy's the last couple of years with the O's. He has had injury issues, so that's something to watch for, but not much wear and tear last year, so the rest might help keep him healthy this season. 

All that to say, I wouldn't be shocked if he turns out better than his results. 

Late in the season against the AL Champs he was hitting 93 MPH. I think that's pretty much been his top velo in his career. 

[CanadianHalo]

 

[tdawg87]

Lol

[jsnpritchett]

6 minutes ago, CanadianHalo said:

 

[Angels 1961]

What's next? Money still left I see Minasian adding a couple of bullpen arms and maybe a starting  pitcher on a minor league deal. Anibal Sanchez or Shoemaker type. Maybe bring back Brian Goodwin other than that I think he's done for now.

[Duren, Duren]

Remember too that last season as it were was 60 games only! So not the usual wear and tear on players you'd find after 162. Of course there were the usual percentages of injuries, but overall players should be fresher with more stamina and energy. 

This  could help pitchers the most. Those with chronic arm issues have had more rest and rehab time since the end of the 2019 season. Even 2020 workhorses pitched much less than in the past. So I wouldn't necessarily view past injury history quite the same as normal. Of course stress will increase injury risk over time but the equation is subtly different. 

[Warfarin]

This is a great perspective and rationale as to why we make a move like this 

[ten ocho recon scout]

19 minutes ago, CanadianHalo said:

 

Maybe its like a golf score?

[m0nkey]

3 hours ago, Lou said:

I'd rather have Bauer.

Fuck Bauer, we got Cobb!

[Pancake Bear]

16 minutes ago, CanadianHalo said:

 

Projection systems hate anti-analytics pitchers. Cobb is like Weaver that way and tends to outpitch his projection and fip. His age and injury history would be my biggest concerns. As I noted previously, Baltimore seems to bring out the worst in their pitchers, so I wouldn't be shocked to see him with a low 4 or even sub-4 ERA if healthy. 

[Stradler]

5 hours ago, totdprods said:

Even if is just Cobb, much like Quintana, if he gives us 30 GS/180 IP, 4.25 ERA, we're in good shape.

You can't get away with that in 5 of your fucking STARTING PITCHERS, that screams mediocrity!

 

I thought we were trying to win here.... I guess not.  I assume they don't expect to win any postseason games with these unremarkable pitching trades/signings.  Bauer is definitely not coming here, he doesn't like Mickey Calloway.

[Junkballer]

1 minute ago, Stradler said:

You can't get away with that in 5 of your fucking STARTING PITCHERS, that screams mediocrity!

So Stradling does have an evil twin.

[mmc]

 

[totdprods]

3 minutes ago, Stradler said:

You can't get away with that in 5 of your fucking STARTING PITCHERS, that screams mediocrity!

 

I thought we were trying to win here.... I guess not.  I assume they don't expect to win any postseason games with these unremarkable pitching trades/signings.  Bauer is definitely not coming here, he doesn't like Mickey Calloway.

We don't need that with five of our SPs. We need it for two or three of our SPs (Quintana, Cobb, and Canning, Barria, or Sandoval) and two of our three SPs to be better than that (such as Bundy, Ohtani or Canning, and Heaney). 

We haven't had a rotation with five guys post 180 IP and a 4.25 ERA or better in probably close to a decade, I'd bet.

 

[Make Angels Great Again]

13 minutes ago, Warfarin said:

This is a great perspective and rationale as to why we make a move like this 

 

That tweet makes no sense, because Alex Cobb is about as Harvey/Cahill/Teheran as it gets.

[Stradler]

4 minutes ago, Junkballer said:

So Stradling does have an evil twin.

No, an old friend is all

[ettin]

One thing we can say out of all of this, is that Minasian knows how to cobble together a rotation.

[Stradler]

On the flip side, Cobb leaves hitter friendly AL East and joins the cool and crisp west, where servicable pitchers CAN thrive if the conditions are right.  I mean, we have turned Baltimore's shit turd into diamonds a few times already.  This one would be another doozy.

[ten ocho recon scout]

Eesh... jamai jones. Wasnt he one of our better prospects? Or am i old and crazy?

[tdawg87]

You guys would be shocked at how solid a rotation of 5 guys posting a 4.5 ERA actually is.

No, it isn't good, but it would be about average and significantly better than what the Angels crapped out this past year. 

[ten ocho recon scout]

Was hoping for a better use of this. But might never get the chance.

Cobb's your uncle.

@Lou @HaloSpurs

[tdawg87]

1 minute ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

Eesh... jamai jones. Wasnt he one of our better prospects? Or am i old and crazy?

He WAS, but he was barely a top 10 guy as of this trade.

[Stradling]

7 minutes ago, Stradler said:

No, an old friend is all

We are?

[Lou]

1 minute ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

Was hoping for a better use of this. But might never get the chance.

Cobb's your uncle.

@Lou @HaloSpurs

[Second Base]

Ok, so if Cobb does have a Bundy type of leap in performance, can anyone spot it? 

With Bundy, it was almost immediate. People started posting that if he used his for seamer less and started using his slider and cutter more, that he would be really good. Bundy does just that and is in fact, really good. 

So does Cobb have a simple adjustment like that, that he needs to make? Or is he just sort of who he is at this point?

Surely, getting out of the AL East and in front of a good infield defense isn't going to make THAT drastic of a difference, will it?

Edited February 1, 2021 by Second Base