PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Picking up a No. 1 starter at the non-waiver Trade Deadline would be a delicious scenario for any contending team, right?
The 2016 Rays will likely do so -- and without trading anybody. That's why Alex Cobb is the team's X-factor for the coming season.
Cobb had been well on his way to establishing himself as the Rays' No. 1 starter when his right elbow began bothering him in March 2015. What his elbow told him led to season-ending Tommy John surgery on May 14.
Since then, Cobb has been in the rehab business, following the established path that many before him have taken in order to get back on the mound.