OC Register: Still an Angel, Alex Cobb is open to a contract extension

[AngelsWin.com]

ANAHEIM ― Alex Cobb was still an Angel after Major League Baseball’s trade deadline passed Friday.

He’d like to be an Angel a while longer.

The right-handed pitcher, on the injured list with a mysterious wrist ailment, said Saturday that he is open to signing a contract extension. Cobb will become a free agent at the end of the season.

“I knew this is somewhere I wanted to be months ago ― really from the moment I got traded over here,” said Cobb, whom the Angels acquired in February from the Orioles for prospect Jahmai Jones.

Cobb said there have been no formal contract talks between himself and general manager Perry Minasian, but the two regularly have casual conversations in the clubhouse.

“I’m not making it a secret,” Cobb said.

Cobb, 33, is 7-3 with a 3.82 earned-run average in 15 starts this season. He’s made two separate trips to the IL, which perhaps limited his value leading up to Friday’s deadline.

Cobb had been battling a subcutaneous blister on his pitching hand earlier in the week. That wasn’t an issue by Thursday, when he was scheduled to start the series opener against the Oakland A’s, but the pain in his wrist could not be ignored.

Scans and tests on the wrist have been inconclusive, Cobb said. On the mound, the sensation only bothers him when his arm pronates at the end of his release. Off the mound, the pain qualifies as only a minor nuisance.

“It’s a weird feeling when you know there’s something going on and all the doctors shrug at you without any idea of what it was,” he said. “I think it’s going to be something relatively short.”

The Angels were somewhat quiet at what became a noisy trade deadline. They traded starting pitcher Andrew Heaney to the Yankees, and reliever Tony Watson to the Giants, receiving mostly minor league prospects in return. Veteran reliever Sam Selman, acquired from the Giants, was added to the Angels’ roster Saturday.

Raisel Iglesias would have been among the best relief pitchers to change teams this week had the Angels opted to trade their closer. But Minasian opted against a full-fledged selloff, keeping both Iglesias and Cobb for the remainder of the season.

“This group has earned the opportunity to continue to compete with how they’ve played and the circumstances they’ve played under,” Minasian said.

Saturday, Cobb sounded pleased with that direction.

“Throughout the course of your career, you can kind of see teams on the verge of being that championship caliber team,” he said. “I don’t know if ‘the verge’ is right because this team is so talented. … Coming over here, you think it’s just the Trout, Ohtani, those guys’ show. Then you see all the other pieces we have here and you’re just blown away watching these guys’ at-bats, the defense that we play. I truly believe this is a team on the verge of winning a championship and I would be honored to be a part of it going forward.”

DETMERS DEBUTS

Speaking one day before his major league debut, 22-year-old pitcher Reid Detmers played it cool while speaking to reports in the Angels’ dugout.

“It doesn’t feel much different” than the day before a typical start, Detmers said. “It helps that I know the guys in the locker room. There’s some familiar faces in there.”

Sunday, the Angels will officially call up Detmers, their first-round draft pick a year ago and the consensus No. 1 pitching prospect in the organization. The promotion will cap a whirlwind 12 months for Detmers, and make him just the second 2020 draft pick to reach the majors.

After beginning the regular season at Double-A, Detmers made 12 starts and struck out 97 batters (and walked 18) in 54 innings. That earned him a promotion to Triple-A, where Detmers threw six shutout innings July 24 in Salt Lake.

Friday, he got the news every baseball player hopes to hear.

“My manager at Triple-A (Lou Marson) called me into his office yesterday morning and said, ‘Hey you’re going to the show.’ I didn’t know what to say. I just kind of froze,” Detmers said. “It’s a moment I’ll always remember.”

What can we expect from the rookie?

Related Articles

• Angels blanked by A’s for second night in a row
• Shohei Ohtani’s next start pushed back because of sore thumb
• Alexander: Dodgers’ deadline deal fuels a frenzied Friday
• Angels trade away Andrew Heaney and Tony Watson, set Reid Detmers’ MLB debut
• Angels come up empty again vs. A’s as trade deadline looms

“I hope that he wins,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said.

ALSO

Shohei Ohtani’s next start might not necessarily be Monday. The soreness in his right hand has improved, Maddon said, but the manager is “still piecing together” his four-man rotation for the Angels’ series against the Texas Rangers. … Left-hander Daulton Jefferies will be recalled from Triple-A and make his second major league start for the A’s on Sunday. … The A’s placed their scheduled Sunday starter, James Kaprielian, on the 10-day IL with a shoulder impingement. They also optioned catcher Aramis Garcia to Triple-A Las Vegas to clear spots on the 26-man roster for their two trade deadline acquisitions, Yan Gomes and Josh Harrison.

UP NEXT

Angels LHP Reid Detmers (major league debut) vs. Oakland LHP Daulton Jefferies (0-1, 22.50 ERA), 1 p.m., Bally Sports West, 830 AM

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[AngelsFaninGA]

No, unless it's for a 1 year deal. This has regression written all over it

[failos]

The blister must be really bad for him to be this desperate for an extension.

[Revad]

He’s saying all the right things, and by making his desire to stay clear that improves the chances.  I can see it happening.

[Angelsfan1984]

2 years 18m 

remember when people on here expected bundy to get a 15-20m per extension…can you imagine what would happen on here today if that were the case?

[Angelsjunky]

55 minutes ago, AngelsFaninGA said:

No, unless it's for a 1 year deal. This has regression written all over it

How so? While it isn't a perfect predictive measure, FIP would imply othewise: 2.62 vs. his 3.82 ERA.

I'd extend him for a year or two, but probably not more. And i think it would cost more than 2/$18M. Probably at least 2/$20M, maybe with a club option/buyout for a third year.

[jsnpritchett]

This is interesting, maybe? It's not entirely clear, but it sounds like Maddon has talked to Minasian about extending Cobb--but maybe Cobb himself hasn't? 

 

[Pheenom07]

We will most likely have a young rotation next year with Sandoval, Detmers and maybe Suarez/Barría.  I think a 2/22 or 3/30 for Cobbs veteran presence makes a lot of sense.  His ERA is behind adv statistics such as FIP and at worst we need him to be a 3/4 starter for next year. 

[WicketMaiden]

20 minutes ago, Pheenom07 said:

We will most likely have a young rotation next year with Sandoval, Detmers and maybe Suarez/Barría.  I think a 2/22 or 3/30 for Cobbs veteran presence makes a lot of sense.  His ERA is behind adv statistics such as FIP and at worst we need him to be a 3/4 starter for next year. 

This is a good reason to extend him as well as his solid performance on the mound. The pitchers will need a mentor and leader next year and Cobb has apparently been doing pretty well at that this year - although I guess he doesn't talk to the bull-pen much. Considering the likes of Harvey, Teheran and Quintana can draw $8m - $10m per year as reclamation projects I can see Cobb getting something more like 12m to 13m per year. Decent starting pitching is expensive.

[Stradling]

16 hours ago, Angelsfan1984 said:

2 years 18m 

remember when people on here expected bundy to get a 15-20m per extension…can you imagine what would happen on here today if that were the case?

Yea it would be very similar to the rest of the daily bitching that takes place. 

[Dtwncbad]

I am not giving Cobb a dime until the Angels secure a top of the rotation starter.  Then maybe he is an added if the budget allows.

Edited August 1, 2021 by Dtwncbad

[bloodbrother]

No no no no. The guy is turning 34 and is having his best season in years. The whole thing screams outlier. The SP market this offseason is very deep with more attractive options.

[Stradling]

24 minutes ago, bloodbrother said:

No no no no. The guy is turning 34 and is having his best season in years. The whole thing screams outlier. The SP market this offseason is very deep with more attractive options.

Is it deep?  Kershaw, Thor (coming back from TJ), who else?  Maybe Scherzer, but I think he signs an extension.  

[failos]

27 minutes ago, bloodbrother said:

No no no no. The guy is turning 34 and is having his best season in years. The whole thing screams outlier. The SP market this offseason is very deep with more attractive options.

You’re dreaming if you think we’re going to sign a top SP FA.

[tdawg87]

Ohtani, Sandoval, Suarez, Barria, Detmers, Cobb.

Pretty good rotation. But I'd rather bring in Stroman and move Suarez to the pen. Or just not re-sign Cobb. 

[bloodbrother]

1 hour ago, failos said:

You’re dreaming if you think we’re going to sign a top SP FA.

Probably, but they have a ton of money coming off the books and the last time that happened they aggressively went after Cole before ending up with Rendon.

[bloodbrother]

1 hour ago, Stradling said:

Is it deep?  Kershaw, Thor (coming back from TJ), who else?  Maybe Scherzer, but I think he signs an extension.  

DeSclafani, Duffy, Gausman, Jon Gray, Robbie Ray, Kluber, Rodon, Stroman, Alex Wood, Verlander in addition to the names you mentioned. Always the trade market too of course but there's no way of knowing who will be available. Marlins have very few good hitters but a ton of pitching in their system, so they will likely be willing to shop one of their arms for a bat

I'm just saying, I'd rather wait it out with regards to Cobb considering the options that'll be available.

[beatlesrule]

1 hour ago, bloodbrother said:

No no no no. The guy is turning 34 and is having his best season in years. The whole thing screams outlier. The SP market this offseason is very deep with more attractive options.

Not really any young pitchers. I think Kershaw resigns with the Dodgers. We still don't know whether or not Scherzer is working on an extension with the Dodgers. Boras stated he wouldn't get traded unless he's extended so I'm still watching that. I wouldn't call it very deep at all. No long term deals that's for sure. A lot of injury prone guys too. I'm betting guys like Rodon resign with their teams.

[bloodbrother]

5 minutes ago, beatlesrule said:

Not really any young pitchers. I think Kershaw resigns with the Dodgers. We still don't know whether or not Scherzer is working on an extension with the Dodgers. Boras stated he wouldn't get traded unless he's extended so I'm still watching that. I wouldn't call it very deep at all. No long term deals that's for sure. A lot of injury prone guys too. I'm betting guys like Rodon resign with their teams.

Cobb turns 34 in a couple months. The main selling point to locking up Cobb now is you can probably get him cheaper considering what the market is shaping up to be this offseason. I'm just not sure how much I buy into his performance and maintaining it for another few years. I'd rather see them go after Stroman, Thor, or Gray before circling back to Cobb if need be.

[Slegnaac]

21 minutes ago, bloodbrother said:

Probably, but they have a ton of money coming off the books and the last time that happened they aggressively went after Cole before ending up with Rendon.

They will need some of that money to extend Ohtani. 

[Angels Fan Forever]

Alex Cobb and Jose Iglesias are glue guys for this team moving forward. They are perfect in the clubhouse and with the younger players. Every championship team needs them and they are ours. I'm pretty sure Minasian sees this so I expect them both to return in 2022.

[Stradling]

Just now, Angels Fan Forever said:

Alex Cobb and Jose Iglesias are glue guys for this team moving forward. They are perfect in the clubhouse and with the younger players. Every championship team needs them and they are ours. I'm pretty sure Minasian sees this so I expect them both to return in 2022.

That interview they just showed with Iglesias was awesome. Seems like a great guy.

[Angels Fan Forever]

Just now, Stradling said:

That interview they just showed with Iglesias was awesome. Seems like a great guy.

Saw it. Actually, it's why I just posted about Cobb and him being "glue guys". Every baseball club needs dudes like him.

[GoodTimesGoneBad]

2/15 how bad does he want to stay?

[totdprods]

It’s a mid-rotation deep class.

I hope they sign a mid-range guy (could be Cobb) and trade for a legitimate arm, be it a prospect like Max Meyer or a frontline arm like Luis Castillo, or another solid vet/rebound like Cobb.