Brett On The Orioles Agreeing To Terms With Alex Cobb

Last season Cobb, in his first full year back from Tommy John surgery, threw a career high 179 1/3 innings with a 3.66 ERA (113 ERA+) for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Alex Cobb is reportedly close to joining the Orioles.

Cobb may have waited this long to sign because he was seeking a multi-year deal rather than a one-year deal like so many of his colleagues have taken. The deal is not finalized and is still pending a club physical.

Pitcher Alex Cobb is arguably the best remaining free agent on the market, and it sounds like he may have a home soon. Cobb had been with Tampa Bay for the entirety of his seven-year career before hitting free agency after last season. Cobb went 1-2 with an 8.59 ERA in 2016 after returning late that season from the ligament-replacement procedure.

Cobb, 30, gives the Orioles another option for their starting rotation, which has no clear front-runners.

Because Cobb rejected a $17.4 million qualifying offer from the Rays, the Orioles will lose their third-highest draft pick in the 2018 Major League Baseball draft - now No. 51.

He has won 10 or more games on four occasions while going 48-35 with a 3.50 ERA in 115 career starts. That isn't as good as his pre-elbow reconstruction years, though it is promising.

The Baltimore Orioles are moving closer to making yet another addition to their starting rotation.

And because his salary is low compared to what the top-tier free agents-Yu Darvish, Jake Arrieta-received, they'd get a reliable starter who can stabilize the middle of their rotation as they build for 2018 and beyond.

Cobb has a three-pitch arsenal - a low-90s fastball, an 80 miles per hour curveball and a mid-80s splitter - though past year he used his curveball much more and went away from his splitter.