Baltimore Orioles’ GM Mike Elias appeared on WJZ-FM’s Orioles Hot Stove Show late last week. A wide array of topics were covered, including the outlook for Orioles’ starter Alex Cobb. In short, Cobb is expected to be ready to go for spring training.
Cobb of course had hip surgery this past season, which ended his year. Elias on Cobb (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):
I think you saw this year how much it hurt us not having him. After we lost him, we were really just scrambling for any semblance of innings, starting pitching, and certainly the vacancy that a veteran like Alex Cobb leaves when he’s hurt, especially with the investment that we have in him, it stings. And so the fact that his (hip) surgery went well.
He had a procedure that kind of shaves off some bone in his hip and it was impinging on soft tissue in his hip. He feels great. It’s a pretty simple procedure. We expect that he’ll be fully healthy in that regard. It’s just going to be a matter of how built up his arm is and how many innings he’s going to be able to provide us. But having him back for a number of reasons will be good.
He had that great first outing against the Yankees at home and I think that’s what he’s capable of when he’s healthy, and hopefully we get that version next year. We expect to.
I would say that if there’s a default guy to be the Opening Day starter, it’s Alex Cobb. I say that based solely on Elias’ comments detailed above. If Cobb can be solid for the Orioles out of the gate, he could easily be a candidate for a trade at the deadline, which could net the O’s a young prospect or two.
But that’s a big IF. Cobb has had his share of injury issues over the years. It’s also contingent on him starting well out out of the gate. Which means that Spring Training will be very important for Cobb. A Spring Training in which he should be a full go.
Birdland Crush 