Tigers unfortunate injury should have a silver lining for one top prospect

The Detroit Tigers haven't added a star this winter, but made several interesting additions bringing in guys like Jack Flaherty, Tommy Kahnle, and Gleyber Torres. That trio makes a roster that was good enough to get to Game 5 of the ALDS last season, even better. Perhaps the most intriguing addition made by Detroit was signing Alex Cobb to a one-year deal.

The Cobb signing was particularly fascinating because the right-hander revealed after the deal was done that he was contemplating retirement. Cobb, a 37-year-old, was coming off a season in which he made just three regular season starts, so he had no idea what was out there for him in free agency. The Tigers took a one-year gamble on him to add a veteran influence in their rotation, but unfortunately, the right-hander is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day due to right hip inflammation.

Cobb's likely Opening Day absence leaves a rotation spot vacant. With that, the organization's top prospect, Jackson Jobe, has a golden opportunity on his hands to take advantage of.

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Tigers Spring Training injury opens door for Jackson Jobe to make Opening Day roster

Jobe is not only the best prospect in the Tigers' system, but he, according to MLB Pipeline, is the fifth-best prospect in all of baseball and the second-best pitching prospect only behind Roki Sasaki - a pitcher who might not even throw a minor league pitch before starting games for the Los Angeles Dodgers. His ceiling is through the roof, so the fact that he's now got a good chance to make the team, is exciting.

Jobe debuted at the MLB level for the Tigers in late September and pitched well, throwing four scoreless innings across two outings in relief, and he even made two postseason appearances for Detroit. The Tigers believed in him enough to turn to him in the middle of a pennant race despite making just two appearances at the Triple-A level. While he wasn't great in the postseason, he certainly showed flashes of why he's such a highly-regarded prospect.

With the Tigers adding Cobb and Flaherty to a rotation already consisting of Tarik Skubal and Reese Olson, it felt unlikely that Jobe was going to crack the team's Opening Day rotation without an injury of some kind. Now, that injury has happened, and a rotation spot could be Jobe's to lose.

Projected Tigers rotation with Alex Cobb likely out for Opening Day

Even without Cobb, this Tigers rotation should be really stout in 2025. Skubal, the reigning AL Cy Young winner, is the team's undisputed ace, and Flaherty, a pitcher who looked like an All-Star during his time in Detroit, should be an excellent No. 2 starter. Reese Olson impressed in his 22 regular season starts last season, and former No. 1 overall pick Casey Mize should get one more opportunity to prove himself at the MLB level.

Having a pitcher with Jobe's upside at the back-end of the rotation is a blessing for Detroit. If he struggles, they can always turn to a guy like Matt Manning to take over. If he proves he belongs, though, the Tigers have another potential ace on their hands.