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Tampa Bay Rays name Alex Cobb opening day starter

By Will Osgood

Jun 2, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Alex Cobb (53) throws against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at Marlins Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 2, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Alex Cobb (53) throws against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at Marlins Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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New Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash dubbed Alex Cobb his opening day starter on Wednesday.

The Tampa Bay Rays lost many of their most familiar faces during the offseason. But at least they’ll have a familiar face on the mound when they open the regular season at home on Monday, April 6 against AL East rival Baltimore.

First-year Rays manager Kevin Cash announced Wednesday that 27-year-old Alex Cobb will start the season’s inaugural game against the Orioles.

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Cobb is the first opening day starter for the Rays since 2007 not named David Price or James Shields. In 2007, it was Scott Kazmir who got the ball for the season’s beginning.

Quietly, very quietly in fact, Cobb has been one of the American League’s best pitchers over the last two seasons. In 49 starts for Tampa Bay, Cobb has held opponents down to the tune of a 2.82 ERA. Only Seattle’s “King Felix” Hernandez and Chicago’s Chris Sale have been better in that department over the last two years.

Tampa Bay lost their genius general manager Andrew Friedman, who left to become the Los Angeles Dodgers’ president of baseball operations in the offseason. He was not formally replaced but Matthew Silverman was given the same title his predecessor now holds in LA.

Tampa’s strategy, playing in a small market, has been a “moneyball” approach which eschews titles and marquee names, but instead exemplifies a by-committee approach. That’s how the new front office will run.

The loss of manager Joe Maddon to the Chicago Cubs figures to be even more damaging for the Rays. Cash took his spot in December and has the unenviable task of taking a team whose only prominent slugger is third baseman Evan Longoria and making them a winner.

Cobb needs to be as good, if not better, as he’s been the past two years to give the Rays any chance to succeed with their now stilted roster. Left handed starter Matt Moore may have drawn the opening day assignment had he been fully healthy.

Moore, once thought to be a future superstar similar to Price, has been outstanding when he’s been healthy. But the 6’3″ southpaw had Tommy John surgery early last year, and is not expected to return to the Tampa Bay mound until June at the earliest.

Moore has a career 3.53 ERA in 61 starts over four seasons. The 25-year-old will help the Rays’ staff once he returns.

Until then it is up to Cobb to carry the weight. The 6’3″ Boston native has a 3.21 career ERA in just shy of 500 career innings. In that time he owns an impressive 1.19 WHIP and has won 35 games.

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