Guardians bolster rotation with trade for veteran Cobb from Giants

DETROIT -- The Guardians first addressed their lineup, and now, they have brought in extra reinforcements to help add to their starting pitching depth.

Cleveland acquired right-hander Alex Cobb from San Francisco during Tuesday afternoon’s 5-0 win over Detroit at Comerica Park in exchange for Minor League hurler Jacob Bresnahan and a player to be named later.

“He’s a really effective Major League pitcher when he’s been healthy,” Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said of Cobb. “In each of 2022 and ‘23, I think he made 28 starts in each of those years and was an above average Major League starter. He’s got good pitch quality, good stuff, and he knows how to use it.”

TRADE DETAILS:
Guardians receive: RHP Alex Cobb
Giants receive: LHP Jacob Bresnahan and a player to be named later

Bresnahan is just 19 years old, but he has been cruising in the Minors this year. In 11 starts in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League, he owned a 2.54 ERA with 63 strikeouts and 16 walks in 46 innings. He had recently been promoted to Single-A Lynchburg.

Cobb is an intriguing pickup, simply because no one knows what to expect from the righty who has yet to throw a pitch in a big league game in 2024. Cobb underwent hip surgery over the offseason and was hoping to return to the Major League rotation in May, but right shoulder irritation got in the way. Once he began taking nerve medication, he started to make progress and began a rehab assignment last month.

It finally seemed like Cobb’s first start could come as early as this week, but another snag got in the way, as a blister slowed him down again. But the Guardians are hoping that he only needs one more rehab start this weekend before he can join the Major League rotation. He may need two, depending on his blister. So far, in six Minor League rehab appearances, he’s posted a 3.93 ERA with 24 strikeouts over 18 1/3 innings.

Cobb was an All-Star in 2023, logging a 3.87 ERA over 28 starts. At 36 years old, he will bring a veteran presence to a young Cleveland rotation, especially if Carlos Carrasco is removed as Cobb and Matthew Boyd (who is also working through a rehab assignment from Tommy John surgery) are plugged in.

“We think [Cobb and Boyd] will not only be contributors on the field, but we think both guys can also impact the development of some of our other younger starters,” Antonetti said.

The Guardians need starting pitching help. Their rotation currently consists of Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Ben Lively, Carrasco and No. 9 prospect Joey Cantillo. Bibee is the ace. Lively has been a surprisingly consistent (and reliable) force in the rotation. But the rest have been question marks.

Williams has a chance to help boost the rotation. He missed most of the first half of the year due to right shoulder trouble, but has started to settle in the longer he’s been back in the Majors. In his latest outing on Tuesday, he allowed just two hits in five scoreless innings with eight strikeouts.

Williams was removed after five frames and 90 pitches (59 strikes) due to his pitch count. If he can figure out how to be more efficient and get deeper into his outings consistently, having him as a third reliable option puts much less pressure on Cobb and Boyd to be perfect as they come back from injury.

Carrasco and Cantillo are the two guys most likely to fall out of the rotation. The Guardians are optimistic about Cantillo’s future. However, with his inexperience, it’s probably easier to turn to veteran arms like Cobb or Boyd in the middle of a playoff hunt. Carrasco may have the experience, but the results this year have been largely inconsistent, with the right-hander owning a 5.68 ERA in 19 starts.

The problem for Cleveland is that there’s no way to form any expectations of the two guys who are set to take those spots in the rotation. Boyd is coming back from Tommy John surgery. Cobb is coming back from his injuries. Neither have thrown a pitch in the Majors this year. But those low risk options may yield a high reward, which is exactly what the Guardians are hoping for.

“It was a really challenging trade market,” Antonetti said. “There was a lot of demand for starting pitchers, particularly starting pitchers that we thought would have a chance to pitch in the postseason if we’re fortunate enough to get there. And in both Matt and Alex, we think they’re that caliber of pitcher.”