After one year at East Carolina,Cotton was drafted by the Dodgers in the 20th round of the 2012 MLB Draft.[3][4] He signed this time and made his professional debut with the Ogden Raptors. Cotton spent 2013 with the Great Lakes Loons,Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts.[5] Cotton missed the first two months of the 2015 season,recovering from a broken left wrist.[6] He pitched in one game for the Great Lakes and four for Rancho Cucamonga before being promoted to the Double-A Tulsa Drillers. In late August,he was promoted to the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers and tried out for a potential bullpen callup to Los Angeles.[7] Between the four levels,he appeared in 21 games (with 11 starts) and was 6–2 with a 2.45 ERA.[8] The Dodgers added Cotton to their 40-man roster after the season.[9] He began 2016 in the starting rotation for Oklahoma City,and was selected to participate for the world team at the 2016 All-Star Futures Game.[10] During the game,Cotton only faced one batter,Phillies outfielder Dylan Cozens. Cozens flied out,and Cotton picked up the win after teammate Yoan Moncada hit a game-winning home run for the World Team.[11]
Oakland Athletics
On August 1,2016,the Dodgers traded Cotton,Grant Holmes,and Frankie Montas to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for Rich Hill and Josh Reddick.[12] He was assigned to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds. Cotton retired the first 26 Round Rock Express batters he faced on August 9,but allowed a triple with two outs in the ninth inning,just missing a perfect game.[13] He was called up to the Athletics on September 7 to make his major league debut.[14] Cotton began the season in the A's rotation,but after starting off slowly,he was sent down to Triple-A. He was soon after called up again,but was sent down back to Triple-A. Cotton's splits between home and road were drastically apart,as at home he was 4–6 with 6.98 ERA while on the road he was 5–4 with a 3.94 ERA.[15] On March 22,2018,Cotton underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the 2018 season.[16] In 2019,Cotton began his rehab by pitching for the Single-A Stockton Ports but was set back in May by a hamstring injury and elected to have surgery to resolve the issue. Cotton returned to the mound in July and pitched for the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators.
On November 23,2019,Cotton was traded to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for cash considerations.[18] On August 16,2020,Cotton was designated for assignment. He cleared waivers and was assigned to the team's alternate training site in South Bend,but was released by the organization on September 5.[19]
Texas Rangers
On December 14,2020,Cotton signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers organization.[20] He began the 2021 campaign with the Triple-A Round Rock Express. On July 30,2021,Texas selected Cotton's contract and promoted him to the active roster.[21] Cotton finished the 2021 season with Texas,going 2–0 with a 3.52 ERA and 30 strikeouts over 30+2⁄3 innings.[22]
Minnesota Twins
On November 5, 2021, Cotton was claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Twins.[23] On November 30, Cotton signed a $700,000 contract with the Twins, avoiding salary arbitration.[24]
Cotton made two scoreless appearances for the Twins in 2022 before he was designated for assignment on April 13, 2022, when Dereck Rodríguez was added to the roster.[25] He cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple-A St. Paul Saints on April 20.[26] Cotton was re-selected to the active roster on May 10, but designated for assignment on May 17 when Dylan Bundy was activated from the injured list.[27] He cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A on May 19. Furthermore, Cotton had his contract selected again on June 3, as a COVID-19 replacement player,[28] and was returned to Triple-A on June 6.[29] He had his contract selected for a third time on June 8.[30] Cotton was designated for assignment again on August 2 in a flurry of transactions that followed the trade deadline.[31] He cleared waivers and was again sent outright to St. Paul on August 5.[32] Cotton had his contract selected for a fourth time on September 11.[33] In 25 total appearances for the team, he compiled a 2-2 record and 2.83 ERA with 31 strikeouts across 35 innings pitched. On September 16, Cotton was designated for assignment after Bailey Ober was activated from the injured list.[34]
San Francisco Giants
On September 18, 2022, Cotton was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco Giants.[35] In 5 games for San Francisco, he logged a 2-0 record and 6.75 ERA with 8 strikeouts over 8 innings of work. On October 20, Cotton was removed from the 40-man roster annd outright to the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats. However, he rejected the assignment and subsequently elected free agency the following day.[36]
Orix Buffaloes
On December 19, 2022, Cotton signed with the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball.[37] In 7 games for the Buffaloes, he posted a 1-1 record and 5.89 ERA with 22 strikeouts across 18+1⁄3 innings pitched. Cotton became a free agent following the 2023 season.
Personal life
His brother, Jamaine Cotton, pitched in the Houston Astros organization from 2010 to 2014.[38][39]
↑ Gray, Aaron (July 14, 2012). "Dodgers sign Cotton". Virgin Island Daily News. Archived from the original on June 23, 2015. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
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