Former San Francisco Giants Starter Predicted to Sign with St. Louis Cardinals

The former St. Francisco Giants pitcher could be joining his third team in two seasons during the offseason.

Sep 19, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Alex Cobb (38) throws in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. / Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco Giants had a somewhat quiet trade deadline. They traded Jorge Soler and Alex Cobb, two proven professionals who could've helped this team in their playoff push. However, they decided to go in a different direction with both of them, and it looks like it might've been the right decision.

The Giants have been playing great baseball since the trade deadline, currently 3.5 games out of the third Wild Card spot in the National League. They've dropped their last three against the Atlanta Braves, but they'll have an opportunity to win the next one in this four-game set. After that, they'll take on the Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox, giving them a golden opportunity to catch some of the teams ahead of them in the Wild Card race. 

Their decisions at the deadline could come back to be the reason they do or don't make the playoffs. If there was one player they should've considered keeping, it's likely Cobb.

The issue, however, is that he never threw a pitch in a San Francisco jersey this year. He was injured for much of the campaign, and with a giant question mark about how he'd look when he came back, there was a reason to trade him. 

He also hits free agency at the end of the season, and will be searching for a new home.

Michael Brakebill of FanSided believes he might've found his new team, predicting that he'll sign with the St. Louis Cardinals. 

"Alex Cobb has missed all of 2024 until now but finally just came off the IL after several setbacks. Traded to the Cleveland Guardians at the deadline, Cobb's debut this season was unimpressive, allowing four earned runs over 4.2 frames and just one punchout. 

"He scattered nine hits and gave up one walk in the process. Brought in to help provide a jolt to Cleveland's starting rotation, it's likely Cobb will walk into free agency, and a team like the St. Louis Cardinals makes a lot of sense."

It'll be interesting to see the market that the right-hander has. After not pitching for much of the campaign and being 36 years old, it's tough to picture a scenario where he'll get paid handsomely. However, he should be able to find a team, considering he posted four straight sub-3.90 ERA seasons before this year.

Perhaps the Giants will get back in the mix, as he threw well for them in his two seasons here. The veteran should have multiple suitors, but the potential contract is a bit tricky.