The Detroit Tigers have been making a lot of the right moves lately. Based on the team's record, sitting atop the American League Central by an impressive nine games, the Tigers are in great shape.
But, while things are going well for the Tigers, they have also seemingly wasted a ton of money in the offseason. In an article from Michael Brauner of Sports Illustrated, Brauner named Tigers starting pitcher Alex Cobb as one of the worst contracts ever.
"Looking back, though," Brauner writes. "Based on the injuries which have kept Cobb off the field for the entire season, this is now a contract which is not just bad, but jaw-droppingly awful and may have been doomed from the start."
With Cobb dealing with a hip issue since early Spring and a recent pause to his rehab, there is reasonable doubt if Cobb will pitch for the Tigers at some point this season. If he were just a typical cheap veteran starter signed in the offseason, it'd be a disappointing move, but not one that is so detrimental.
But, Cobb signed a one-year deal worth $15 million, and up to $17 million with incentives. Those incentives are likely out the window, as the 37-year-old right-hander has yet to pitch for the Tigers in 2025.
The Tigers spent such a huge amount of money on Cobb, despite the warning signs, because of how great he looked in 2024 with the Cleveland Guardians. In 2024, Cobb had a 2.76 ERA in three starts in the regular season. While a very small sample size, there was enough promise that the Tigers felt it was worth taking a chance on.
However, the amount of money spent on Cobb has been a complete waste so far. The Tigers haven't forgotten anything about Cobb in 2025, and after getting an injection over the weekend, things don't seem to be trending in the right direction.
Brauner called the Cobb deal one of the worst ever, and with how Cobb is collecting $15 million despite doing nothing for the Tigers, it's not as far-fetched as it seems. There have been plenty of terrible deals in MLB history, but at least the majority played for their team. Cobb is out and will be out for some time.
Barring a strong second half from Cobb, or maybe some postseason heroics, the $15 million spent on Cobb will go down as a massive waste of resources in the middle of the Tigers' window of contention.