LA Angels: The case for and against extending Alex Cobb

The 2021 season hasn’t been kind to the LA Angels veterans. From injured stars like Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon, to disastrous performances from Jose Quintana and Dylan Bundy, 2021 is a year many of them would like to forget.

That’s not to say all of the veterans have been bad. For example, Raisel Iglesias has been the bedrock of the bullpen for the entire season and should be a lock for an extension.

Aside from him, however, there has been one other veteran this year who has quietly had a great season and may also be deserving of an extension: Alex Cobb.

Alex Cobb’s been invaluable to the LA Angels in ’21, but should they extend him at the cost of acquiring another vet SP?

Having an experienced veteran like Alex Cobb in next year’s rotation makes all the sense in the world for the LA Angels.

From a logistical standpoint, the team will probably run with a six-man rotation again. Right now, we can assume that some combination of Shohei Ohtani, Patrick Sandoval, Reid Detmers, Chris Rodriguez, Jose Suarez, Jaime Barria, and possibly even Griffin Canning will take up five out of the six spots while the rest will slot in as middle relievers or begin in Triple-A.

A veteran presence will be crucial towards bringing stability to such a young and mostly unproven group, but can Cobb be that presence?