Hip issues have kept Alex Cobb on the injured list all season, and the veteran righty officially announced the end of his lost year by telling reporters (including the Detroit Free Press’ Evan Petzold and The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen) that he’ll be undergoing resurfacing surgery on his right hip. This is the third hip-related surgery Cobb has undergone since the start of the 2019 season.
Cobb went into detail with the media about his injury-marred 2025 campaign, and all of the stops and starts faced during multiple rehab assignments. Cobb turns 38 in October, and he admitted that he was at least considering retirement in the wake of his injury woes. We should know more about Cobb’s decision in the coming weeks, as he’ll likely want to see how his body responds in the wake of the surgery, not to mention the natural discussions with his family about whether or not to step away from the sport.
If this is indeed it for Cobb, his 2025 campaign is an unfortunate coda on the end of an impressive 13-season run in the majors. His tenure with the Tigers will conclude without even a single pitch thrown, making Detroit’s $15MM free agent investment in Cobb into a total wash. There was some hope that Cobb could make it back as a relief pitcher before the season was over, but he was pulled off his rehab assignment at the end of August.
Cobb’s previous hip surgery during the 2023-24 offseason (when he was still a member of the Giants) ended up sidelining him for longer than expected, as Cobb then developed elbow soreness during his rehab process. Traded from San Francisco to Cleveland at the deadline, Cobb tossed a total of 22 innings for the Guardians, with three starts in the regular season and two more in the playoffs.
Despite the lack of workload, the Tigers felt confident enough in Cobb’s medicals and track record to give him a one-year, $15MM deal last winter. While Detroit is sailing towards the AL Central crown and hasn’t necessarily missed Cobb, it is easy with 50-50 hindsight to speculate on the many ways the Tigers could’ve otherwise used that $15MM to upgrade the roster, particularly since the club didn’t spend much in general last offseason.
Injuries have been an unwelcome subplot of Cobb’s career, with the recurring hip problems and a 2015 Tommy John surgery standing out as the major health setbacks. Though it all, Cobb has usually been an effective starter when he has been able to pitch, posting a 3.84 ERA over 1327 2/3 innings with five different big league clubs. His most effective season in terms of fWAR (3.7) came in 2022 during his age-34 season, and he received his first All-Star nod in 2023.
Ridiculous signing
What were the terms?
1 year, $15M
Not a franchise killer or anything, but in hindsight, an obvious waste of money.
Franchise killer, qu’est que c’est. Fa fa fa fa, fa fa fa fa fa fa.
Not disagreeing with you but kudos to Cobb’s agent for getting him a $15M contracts despite having only pitched 16 IP in 2024.
When he’s healthy, he’s great. But Detroit should have signed him to a lower base salary with innings bonuses.
Kudos to Cobb too for the sucking
More proof that everybody can predict the future after it happens.
@bluesky – One would think, however we are loaded with folks in this country that can’t comprehend the past or present as well. They all look great in their red hats however.
Red hats and rainbow flags. Interesting times we live in these days.
Bummer for Cobb and the tigers though.
ADF-
How is it a bummer for Cobb? 15M for not pitching. He was injured when he signed the deal. He got his medical expenses paid and made a cool 15 million for his trouble.
How about ending your career and living the rest of his life with chronic hip pain. Pretty important joint when it comes to everyday living. Some people value that sort of thing over their bank account.
Good times create weak people. Weak people create hard times. Hard times create strong people. Strong people create good times. It’s how societies roll. No surprises for guessing where you are at.
Tigers probably hedged with insurance on the contract to be quite honest. He was hurt coming into the signing IIRC. Unfortunate he was not able to contribute. Tigers seem to be humming along just fine without him and it’s a ridiculous notion to think this money would’ve gone to a Bregman offer or something. The team still had money to spend with what they’ve acquired during the season.
Yeah, because insurance companies always want loser deals.
This contract was uninsurable.
The Titanic was insured.
Harris’s most foolish move ever. There was no logic to this deal, ever. The guy was ready to retire for reasons that are completely obvious. This type of deal comes back to haunt in the postseason when they really need a seasoned veteran worth $15 million a year on the mound and instead have to turn to someone like Chris Paddack.
How much are they paying Paddack?
He’s shucked.
That was a corny comment…
While amaized you both could Ty in puns, the Tigers aren’t amused given how badly they got creamed.
Hopefully he has a family lineage: children of the corn
These are not the Salad days of Cobbs existence
This will surely drive a wedge between him and the team.
I expect Harris will offer Cobb an incentive laden contract worth up to $20M for the 2026 season since he saw what he did with the Giants several years ago and he’s smarter than every other POBO/GM in baseball (at least in his own mind)
It’s decisions like this that make me lose respect in FO execs like Harris, as what significant deal(s) has he really done since he’s been here other than sign/trade/resign Jack Flaherty & sign Gleyber Torres to his 1-yr contract?
And put together a roster that is one of the best teams in MLB.
And think what could have been done with the extra totally wasted $15M. Should have known better with this ridiculous gamble of a signing.
Dare I say that y’all are beginning to sound like spoiled Yankees fans? Be glad that the F.O. is spending money and put together a competitive team. They’re one-year contracts so not a big deal. Enjoy the run this season! I am.
Could have had:
Montas
Corbin Burnes?
Sean Manaea?
Jack Flaherty? Oh wait.
Walker Buehler!!!
Ha ha. Good context.
MCBB….Yes with the majority of Avilia’s players responsible for this. With Harris at the helm, while the team may be competitive for now, I don’t except any huge success
I think most of you Tiger fans forget how bad your team was just a few short years ago. You are now one of the best teams in baseball. Not saying Harris should get full credit, but the front office has put a winner on the field a few years after finishing 30ish games under .500. That’s pretty good progress. Avila’s hiring of Hinch was a pretty good hire. He’s a really good manager who deserves credit too. Especially after the Houston issues. Enjoy yourselves right now. 15 million for Cobb backfired but you’ll be just fine and have a good chance at going to the World Series.
Harris rebuilt the farm system and the player development program. Ilich spent heavily in both regards. Both areas were badly neglected under Avila and Dombrowski.
Takes a lot more than a starting lineup to support a championship team…
Drafted Max Clark, Kevin McGonigle, and Max Anderson in one draft.
Did he even pitch this year?
He threw 20 and 2/3 innings in the minors. None in the majors.
He was very lucky to play most of his time with really good teams with excellent catchers. Check his lousy numbers with the terrible Orioles. A few good pitchers are very unlucky and get stuck with terrible teams for most of their careers and suffer for it.
You want to make 15 million the hard way? What a joke. Might as well be monopoly money.
Turned out to be a bad gamble. You can’t win them all.
A “wash” means the contract was neither a gain nor a loss for the Tigers. In fact, the contract was a total loss for the Tigers.
Washed $15 million!!!
WHAT A HOOT ! Oh well, I guess the playoff secret weapon can’t be used now. I was thinking he’d come in for the playoffs with no data on him, and be the surprise to help Detroit. What a hoot. Urquidy will have to be the playoff rescue wagon now.
They’ll have to avoid any pitcher blowing up in a inning for 4-6 runs during the playoffs. I’m hoping they can get the first week bye, but that looks kind of tough for them right now. Hang on snoopy hang on ! GO TIGERS !
Cobb busted himself trying to come back early from the hip when he was a Giant. Team guy all the way. Giants were desperate. Team over self and it looks like it cost him. Respect and love to the man. Good luck with the “resurfacing”. Sounds like something I’d like to avoid.
I was just looking at the 2 guys the Giants got from Cleveland for Cobb last year. Jacob Breshnahan and Nate Furman. These guys are having really good years in the minors. Breshnahan is 9-3 with a 2.61 ERA in 22 starts with San Jose and Furman is batting .375 across 4 levels and is currently at Richmond. Thank you very much Mr. Zaidi.
*Mr. Chernoff
Do wonder if tigers got insurance on him
What (for profit) insurance company would insure that player?
Here’s the rate. 50% of contract.
$7.5 million up front
I’m pretty sure all their contracts are insured. The question is would they be able to collect on the Cobb contract since he did pitch in the minors this year.
I don’t think they are. An ex president told me they are unaffordable and get messy at claim time. Not feasible. If anything, they self insure, but no idea how that works.
*Career ending.
Even though the signing was bad, I feel even worse for Cobb. Nobody intentionally signs a contract not to play, he really wanted to be part of this team
100%. From what I understand, Cobb is a very well respected man inside the sanctums. His attitude as a Giant was noteworthy. The team first approach at that time was a noticeable contrast to an injured Snell. Snell took the opposite approach with his recovery. In saying that, Snell’s “me first” got him the payday he wanted. Just came too late for the Giants that year.
Rendon is on line 1
Rendon just prefers to play half of season since 162 is too many games for him
Would expect him to play one more year on a vet min for the Tigers. He can’t feel good about ending his career like this
Mike Pelfrey. Jordan Zimmermann. Jose Urena. Et al. Many, many et al…
50-50 hindsight?
Hey Scott – lesson learned right?
Don’t sign anyone for any amount who
A) is constantly injured
And
B) is considering retirement
If we were a big market club it might not have mattered, but Mike doesn’t like to spend. That money could have gone to Bregman or a different FA.
Let’s not forget that 1st ballot Hall of Famer, beloved Tiger Justin Verlander was available when they signed Cobb and he eventually signed for the exact same $15 million.
Attendance is high this year but you know that Comerica Park would sell more tickets on days when JV was on the bump. So that means the cost of the contract would become less. And all of us fans would be thrilled to have JV back in the D for another run at the World Series.
Verlander may well be the last pitcher to ever reach 300 wins and I want that to happen with an old English D on his cap!
What a waste!