MLB Trade Rumors 2016: Rays' Alex Cobb Generating Interest from Other Teams
Starting pitcher Alex Cobb of the Tampa Bay Rays is generating a lot of interest from other teams, but it is highly unlikely that the team will trade him any time soon, or at least that is what they are saying as of now.
The Rays are keen on keeping their young pitching roster complete as they head into a new campaign this upcoming season. But for the sake of argument, no one is more dispensable in the lineup than Cobb himself, for the simple reason that he hasn't been healthy enough to make an impact.
He started last season on the disabled list after suffering recurring elbow problems. But he eventually missed the entirety of the season after electing to undergo Tommy John Surgery in May of last year.
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Should the right-hander remain with Tampa Bay, then he is expected to make a return this season, but it is still unclear how he would fit in a rotation full of young talents, including Nate Karns, Chris Archer, Matt Moore, and Jake Odorizzi. But by looking at his most recent production, which was the 2013-14 season, there in fact are a lot of reasons why other teams want him. He posted a 2.82 ERA, along with 283 strikeouts in 309+ innings that season.
It may be true that the team is having problems with their salary cap right now, but that alone isn't enough to convince them to let go of a talent like him. The fact that he's relatively cheap at $4 million for 2016 is another reason why the Rays can afford to keep him.
But another possibility is that if the Rays underperform this upcoming season, then the team might change their stance and eventually give in to trade offers, but it wouldn't make any sense if Cobb turns out to be the best in the pitcher in the entire roster.
