MLB free agency: Rangers still showing interest in Alex Cobb, Lance Lynn

The Rangers are still interested in signing free agent starters Alex Cobb and Lance Lynn, even after agreeing to a deal with Doug Fister, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network.

The Rangers need multiple starters after coming off a season in which their staff ranked in the bottom third in the American League in most statistics. Signing the pair of 30-year-old right-handers would help them tremendously.

Cobb, who the Rangers have had preliminary discussions with, according to Morosi, is coming off a season in which he posted a 12-10 record with a 3.66 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP and 128 strikeouts in 179 ¹⁄₃ innings pitched — a career-high for him — across 29 starts. It was his first full campaign since 2014 after not having pitched a lot over the last two years. After having a 2013 season in which he went 11-3 with a 2.76 in 22 starts and a 2014 campaign in which he went 10-9 with a 2.87 ERA in 27 starts, Cobb never got to pitch in 2015 after he tore his UCL and had Tommy John surgery. Last season, he returned late in the year and went 1-2 with a 8.59 ERA and a 1.73 WHIP in 22 innings.

Lynn had a better stats across the board than Cobb for the most part in 2017, as he went 11-8, posted a 3.43 ERA, recorded 153 Ks and had a 1.23 WHIP in 186 ¹⁄₃ innings pitched across 33 starts. Like Cobb, Lynn also missed a year of baseball, as he did not pitch in all of 2016 after having Tommy John surgery in November 2015.

Though their past arm injuries could be an issue, Cobb and Lynn may make more sense for the Rangers instead of trying to pursue an ace such as Jake Arrieta, who they are also in on along with five other clubs. Out of the two, Cobb may be tougher to land, as the Cubs and Yankees are also teams reportedly interested in him.