Tigers' $15 million former All-Star concedes he might retire
Alex Cobb's career has been one of great potential often unfulfilled because of injuries.
The 2025 season has been no different. Cobb, 37, hasn't thrown an inning since signing a one-year, $15 million contract with the Detroit Tigers last winter. Saturday, Cobb told reporters that he will undergo season-ending hip surgery, and might have thrown his last inning in the major leagues.
Alex Cobb will not pitch for the #Tigers in the 2025 season. The Tigers signed him to a one-year, $15 million contract in free agency.
— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) September 6, 2025
Is he going to retire from his MLB career?
"I can't utter those words quite yet," Cobb said. "I realize that's a big possibility."
"I realize that's a big possibility," Cobb said, via Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.
An All-Star with the San Francisco Giants in 2023, Cobb threw just 16.1 innings with the Cleveland Guardians in 2024 because of injuries.
RHP Alex Cobb will not pitch again in 2025 and plans to undergo hip resurfacing surgery.
— Evan Woodbery (@evanwoodbery) September 6, 2025
The hip resurfacing procedure Cobb said he will undergo is not a minor one. The odds do not favor any pitcher trying to rehabilitate just to appear in their 14th season at age 38 next year — or the year after.
Cobb was reportedly very emotional when speaking to reporters on a conference call about his decision to have surgery. According to Evan Woodbery of MLive.com, Cobb said he knew it was over when he walked off the mound during his last minor league rehab game at Triple-A Toledo.
Cobb said he knew it was over when he walked off the mound during his last appearance with Toledo.
— Evan Woodbery (@evanwoodbery) September 6, 2025
He requested the Tigers set up a call with reporters this afternoon so he could give some background on his decision and what this year has been like.
Since debuting in 2011 with the Tampa Bay Rays, Cobb is 79-76 with a 3.84 ERA in 233 starts. Along the way Cobb has shown flashes of brilliance: 11-3 with a 2.76 ERA in 2013; a pair of 3-WAR seasons in San Francisco from 2022-23.
But Cobb only qualified for an ERA title twice in his 13 major league seasons by virtue of a variety of health concerns. He's come back from lost seasons before; now Cobb faces his greatest comeback yet.
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