After months of speculation, Alex Cobb confirmed on Saturday what many fans had already suspected: the veteran right-hander won’t take the mound for the Detroit Tigers this season—and his career might be over.
Cobb signed a one-year, \$15 million deal with the Tigers in the offseason, but persistent hip problems have sidelined him since spring training. Despite several rehab attempts in the minors, there was little to no progress, making his eventual announcement seem inevitable. Over the weekend, Cobb revealed he will undergo season-ending hip resurfacing surgery on his right side.
After nearly a year of speculation, Alex Cobb confirmed on Saturday what many fans had long suspected: the veteran right-hander will not pitch for the Detroit Tigers this season — and his career might be over.
Cobb, who signed a one-year, \$15 million deal with Detroit during the offseason, has been sidelined with hip problems since spring training. Despite a few attempts at minor league rehab, there was little improvement, and it became increasingly clear he wouldn’t return. Over the weekend, Cobb made it official, announcing he will undergo season-ending hip resurfacing surgery on his right side.
There had been some optimism that he might contribute out of the bullpen late in the season, but those hopes were dashed when he was pulled from his second rehab stint in late August. Now, Cobb’s time with the Tigers ends without a single pitch thrown, making the team’s \$15 million investment a total loss.
Alex Cobb’s emotional response to season-ending surgery puts Tigers fans in difficult spot
Although Cobb’s announcement wasn’t entirely unexpected, it still stirred frustration among Tigers fans, many of whom questioned why the team signed him in the first place. With the organization already spending conservatively during the offseason, the \$15 million invested in Cobb could have been used to strengthen the roster elsewhere. Aware of that sentiment, Cobb acknowledged the situation and expressed that he felt a responsibility to offer an explanation to Detroit fans.
“I obviously had some issues last year with my left hip, and then I went into the offseason and I felt great, I really did,” Cobb told reporters (including Jason Beck of MLB.com). “I mean, I was working out, I was throwing, I was in zero pain. Went and signed with the Tigers, did my physical, passed, everything looked good.”
About three to four weeks later, Cobb said, he “literally woke up one day and couldn’t walk.” He underwent a series of tests, which revealed that he had arthritis in his right hip. He received numerous injections and pitched through a world of pain during his rehab assignments, all to provide the Tigers with something in exchange for his contract – and for a chance to help the team win in the postseason.
“I can handle the pain,” Cobb said. “It’s when the pain and the stuff aren’t matching up, and you aren’t able to overcome the pain and have quality outings and what it takes to be at the big league level. For me to be in a position to earn the right to be on that team, I would need to be reliable and I would need to be effective. And I wasn’t ever going to get to that point.”
“I can handle the pain,” Cobb said. “It’s when the pain and the stuff aren’t matching up, and you aren’t able to overcome the pain and have quality outings and what it takes to be at the big league level. For me to be in a position to earn the right to be on that team, I would need to be reliable and I would need to be effective. And I wasn’t ever going to get to that point.”
Cobb hasn’t officially declared his retirement from baseball, but he acknowledged that “it’s a big possibility.” If this is it, Cobb will finish his 13-year Major League career with 233 starts, an All-Star selection and four postseason appearances.
Tigers fans can certainly be frustrated with the outcome, but that frustration shouldn’t be directed at Cobb. He tried absolutely everything he could to be able to contribute to this team. Could (and should) Scott Harris have invested that $15 million elsewhere? Probably. But Cobb’s inability to contribute to the team this year is hardly for lack of effort on his part.
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