Free agent pitcher Alex Cobb sure sounds like he’d prefer to play for the Chicago Cubs.
The former Tampa Bay Ray said Friday that he would be “very honored” to get the opportunity to discuss terms with the Cubs, and spoke highly of their current staff — led by manager Joe Maddon and new pitching coach Jim Hickey, both of whom worked in Tampa while Cobb was there.
“I don’t hide the fact that I’ve got the most respect for Joe Maddon and what he did for me coming up as a player,” Cobb told MLB Network Radio, via Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago. “Not so much as a pitcher on the mound, but as a professional athlete and a professional baseball player, and how to deal with the mental side of the game. And how to deal with the stresses that come with a big-league lifestyle. There’s nobody better in the game to control and deal with people.”
Cobb also had high praise for Hickey and the Cubs organization as a whole.
“I can’t say enough good things about him,” Cobb said. “He’s become – not only a pitching coach – but a real close friend of mine. Obviously, if we move down the line and we’re able to have some discussions with them, I’d be very honored to be able to talk with them and hopefully come to a deal.”
It had already been speculated that Cobb might want to join the Cubs after they added Hickey, plus the team’s need for a starter. This might end up being the least surprising free agent signing of the winter.
