Twins Rumors: Could Alex Cobb reunite with Jake Odorizzi in Minnesota?
By Sean Sears
The Minnesota Twins need another arm in their rotation for insurance, and pitcher Alex Cobb could be that player.
The Minnesota Twins trading for pitcher Jake Odorizzi netted them the arm they had been lacking in their rotation. However, looking at the rest of the rotation, it wouldn’t hurt to add another arm for insurance, especially since Odorizzi is coming off a rough 2017 season.
It’s unlikely at this point that the Twins will consider adding someone pricey such as Jake Arrieta, but names like Alex Cobb or Lance Lynn might make sense. FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman threw out the idea last Monday night, and it’s something the Twins should seriously consider.
Twins, even after excellent odorizzi trade, are weighing another rotation option. Cobb or Lynn could be in play. So there’s some chance odorizzi could re-unite with Cobb.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 20, 2018
As it stands right now, the Twins’ rotation includes Odorizzi, the talented Joes Berrios, Ervin Santana, Michael Pineda, and Kyle Gibson. Not exactly the most impressive group, especially with the veteran Santana being only two weeks removed from finger surgery. Anibal Sanchez is also in the mix, but he isn’t a guarantee to make the major league roster out of camp.
Adding Cobb or Lynn would give the Twins another arm to lean on, one that has real MLB experience, while also creating solid depth in the rotation.
According to Fangraphs ZiPS projections, both Cobb and Lynn with sub-four ERA’s over about 160 innings in 2018.
Last season, Cobb threw a career-high 179.1 IP with a 3.66 ERA just a year removed from Tommy John surgery. Lynn, who was also coming off an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery, posted a surprising 3.44 ERA over 186.1 IP for the Cardinals last season.
Of course, the Twins could always roll with the arms they have now and decide at the deadline if they need to address the rotation. Minnesota still has four players in the top 100 prospects, according to MLB pipeline, and could put together an enticing package to acquire a starter at the trade deadline.
The Twins could always go after another Rays pitcher in Chris Archer, who is likely available, but with Minnesota refusing to move top prospect Royce Lewis, he might not be an option.
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Regardless, adding another arm to the rotation would do nothing but bolster the Twins’ chances of contending in 2018.