Alex Cobb, SP
It could be wise for the Twins to add another starter behind Pablo Lopez this offseason. Not only would it lengthen the rotation, it would allow one of the arms slated to be in the rotation to move to the bullpen, strengthening arguably the biggest concern. Keeping with the theme of potential good value contracts, Alex Cobb fits the bill.
Over the last few seasons, Cobb has really figured things out. He had an up-and-down career during his stints with the Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, and Los Angeles Angels. Then, he joined the San Francisco Giants, one of the best teams when it comes to developing pitching, and had solid seasons in 2022 and 2023. Now, he is with another pitching factory in the Cleveland Guardians. In very limited innings due to injury, Cobb has been effective, pitching to a 2.76 ERA, according to FanGraphs.
Cobb will be 37 entering next season, and there is some inherent risk there. However, that means his free-agent contract will not cost much. Given Cobb's effectiveness in recent years after working with the Giants' staff, he could be a steal on a one-year contract. It doesn't hurt that the Twins would be stealing him from the division rival Guardians either.