Milwaukee Brewers: Crew In Contact With Alex Cobb

After the Milwaukee Brewers signing of Jhoulys Chacin and Yovani Gallardo to this pitching corps, They might be looking to add more.

According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Brewers have been talking recently.

This is certainly an interesting development. Alex Cobb was an interesting free agent option for the Brewers rotation. But he was seen as a longshot to sign in Milwaukee . The rival Chicago Cubs have been the favorite to sign Cobb because of new pitching coach Jim Hickey who came over from Tampa Bay.

The Milwaukee Brewers also have a connection with Tampa. Assistant GM Matt Arnold joined the Crew from Tampa Bay and is likely a big fan of Cobb’s ability. Although Arnold likely won’t be the reason Cobb signs here, he at least has a relationship with Cobb and his representatives.

Cobb,30, pitched to a 3.66 ERA over 29 starts in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery. He was limited to 180 innings in 2017. But he may not have such limitations on him next season. Cobb doesn’t strike out many hitters, posting a mere 6.4 K/9 in 2017. But he keeps the walks down and has been an effective starter throughout his career.

Cobb was projected to land a four year, $48 million contract. That number is eerily similar to Matt Garza’s contract when he signed a four year, $50 million contract as a 30 year old free agent. That doesn’t mean Cobb is going to be the next Matt Garza. But they’re in similar situations. With the high prices on the pitching market, Cobb is likely to earn more than that 4/48 contract.

While this does not mean the Milwaukee Brewers are close to signing Cobb, it at least shows there is still activity in this front office. It could be nothing more than due diligence. GM David Stearns could merely be letting Cobb’s agent know if the price drops to a certain range that there is interest.

Cobb would be biggest free agent signing for the Brewers this winter if talks progress. Depending on the contract he signs, it could be the largest in franchise history. But none of that is a guarantee. All we know is that the Milwaukee Brewers have recently been in contact with Cobb and it is definitely something to keep an eye on.

Next: Neil Walker likely to return?

With the slow moving market this offseason, there are a lot of top free agents still on the market. The longer they wait, the more prices drop, and the more realistic it is for the Crew to sign them.