Jake Arrieta and John Lackey will both likely be departing the Cubs rotation — Arrieta by free agency, Lackey probably by retirement.
So the Cubs are looking for starting pitchers.
Alex Cobb is a free agent. He pitched for Cubs manager Joe Maddon for the Rays from 2011-14 and has had new Cubs pitching coach Jim Hickey as his coach there for his entire run in Tampa.
If anything screamed out, “Sign this guy!”, those facts certainly do.
Cobb had three good full seasons for the Rays through 2014, then missed the entire 2015 season and most of 2016 after having Tommy John surgery.