Even in an offseason rife with gulfs between what players are asking and what teams are offering, Alex Cobb’s situation stands out. Clearly at the top of the second tier of starting pitchers in this class, Cobb still carries enough risk to limit both the years and average annual value he’d receive. Or so everyone thought.
Knowing that the two pitchers above him were going to be asking for roughly three times what he was projected to earn, Cobb’s camp figured they had a little room to up their own target. Hence, the man who had openly expressed his affinity for Joe Maddon and Jim Hickey and said he’d “hopefully come to a deal” with the Cubs remains unsigned.