former starter signs with Detroit; Minasian adds two general meetings through title change

There is no reunion here, at least not for 2025. The Athletics Ken Rosenthal reports that Alex Cobb is joining the Detroit Tigers on a one-year deal. Cobb appeared in three regular season games and two playoff games for the Guardians in 2024 after being dealt there by the San Francisco Giants. He’ll be starting over with the Guardians’ division rivals, this time from Opening Day. His first appearance last season was on August 9th.

The Angels traded for Cobb back in February 2021, sending Jahmai Jones to the Orioles in exchange for the starter. Cobb, who could reach $100 million in his career with his new Tigers deal, fits the archetype of pitcher the Angels have gravitated toward in recent years.

The Angels recently signed Dakota Hudson to a minor league contract. Hudson, like Cobb, generates a large amount of ground balls through his sinker/curveball-dominant approach. Cobb’s arsenal consists of a hard, deep splitter, a gigantic low-to-mid 90s sinker, and a low-80s curveball. In theory, he’s an older version of a Jose Soriano and Jack Kochanowicz-type pitcher.

A reunion for the Angels with Cobb in 2025 would have meant removing Tyler Anderson or Reid Detmers from the rotation accordingly. The Angels’ starting rotation is currently under the microscope as the baseball world is currently busy building its roster for the Winter Meetings. Many expect another shakeup in the rotation, even after the additions of Yusei Kikuchi and Kyle Hendricks.