Could an uncertain economic situation for teams actually make Cobb more appealing this offseason?

[BohKnowsBmore]

2 hours ago, Frobby said:

Fair enough.   I’d agree he was decent.  Of course, the season was so short he was unable to prove whether he can stay healthy over a full year.    To me that’s the big issue with Cobb.    

Which is a fair point. I will say, though, that he was able to provide 50+ innings of "decent" starting pitching in the shortened 2020 season, which is significantly more than most of the guys $5M/1year guys bucket that posters earlier in this thread were grouping him in (guys who are major question marks because they didn't pitch at all and/or had terrible results). 

At the end of the day, I agree that the most likely result is that he's on the OD roster and if he pitches well or at least reasonably competently, the team tries really hard to shop him at the deadline.

Just wondering whether there is an ability given the current league landscape to turn what's a sunk cost for us at this point (with minimal other payroll commitments) into more return value than we would have been able to realize otherwise.

[BohKnowsBmore]

5 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

Of course, if the Orioles get any trade offer they may dump him like this did with Villar because of the contract. 

I see this as a bit of the inverse of what I'm suggesting here. I doubt any team will be willing to take on the salary for an average-ish player (or maybe better said that they may be particularly averse to it in this specific offseason), hence the question of whether there is more value this offseason in eating the salary (which is a sunk cost to us at this point), offering another team with budget constraints a "free" (or close to it) mid-rotation guy.

[Roll Tide]

11 hours ago, BohKnowsBmore said:

I see this as a bit of the inverse of what I'm suggesting here. I doubt any team will be willing to take on the salary for an average-ish player (or maybe better said that they may be particularly averse to it in this specific offseason), hence the question of whether there is more value this offseason in eating the salary (which is a sunk cost to us at this point), offering another team with budget constraints a "free" (or close to it) mid-rotation guy.

Som team offered Kevin Gausman close to 20 million dollars.

[Frobby]

2 hours ago, Roll Tide said:

Some team offered Kevin Gausman close to 20 million dollars.

Yep.   Same team that paid Barry Zito $126 mm and got 2.4 rWAR out of him, and paid Matt Cain $112.5 mm and got -1.1 rWAR out of him, and has paid Johnny Cueto $90 mm so far and gotten 8.8 rWAR out of him (he has $21.8 mm coming to him in 2021 plus a $5 mm buyout if they don’t exercise a $22 mm option for 2022).    I’d say they’re not shy about spending on pitching.   

[Can_of_corn]

And it's very possible that they were hoping he'd turn it down.

[Chuck A]

It's just my opinion but I don't think they are shopping Cobb this offseason as he is exactly what we need.  A veteran presence who can eat innings.  I do believe he will be available come trade deadline, but to start the season, the O's need him.  I fully expect Elias to sign another Milone or Leblanc type pitcher or two to compete for a spot in ST.  I can't say that Means being the most veteran member of the rotation would be a good thing.  He only has 2 seasons under his belt.

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, Chuck A said:

It's just my opinion but I don't think they are shopping Cobb this offseason as he is exactly what we need.  A veteran presence who can eat innings.  I do believe he will be available come trade deadline, but to start the season, the O's need him.  I fully expect Elias to sign another Milone or Leblanc type pitcher or two to compete for a spot in ST.  I can't say that Means being the most veteran member of the rotation would be a good thing.  He only has 2 seasons under his belt.

I think they are actively shopping Cobb in an attempt to lower payroll.