A little more than two years after the Guardians tried to patch their pitching depth by landing Alex Cobb, that deal is still circling back on them in an uncomfortable way.
Cleveland sent minor league right-hander Jacob Bresnahan to the Giants in that trade, along with a player to be named later who eventually became infield prospect Nate Furman. Cobb was already hurt when the move was made, and the return on the Guardians’ side never came close to matching the cost. He logged just 16 1/3 regular-season innings for Cleveland, then made two rough postseason appearances.
Now Furman is the name that can make the trade sting a little more.
On Saturday, the Giants promoted Furman from the minors after catcher Jesús Rodríguez landed on the injured list with an elbow injury. Furman has not yet taken an MLB at-bat, but the door is now open for him to become another painful reminder of how that deadline move worked out for Cleveland.
At the time of the deal, Furman looked more like a lottery ticket than a sure thing. He had just come off a season split between Single-A and High-A, and most of his value came from his legs, not his bat, with 37 steals.
That picture has changed in San Francisco’s system. Furman was in the middle of a strong Triple-A season before the call-up, hitting .284/.370/.405. His stock jumped even more last season, when he put up a 1.100 OPS in 36 minor league games after missing the start of the year with a shoulder injury.
He also brings a flexible defensive profile, with the ability to play all over the infield, and he has nearly matched his walk total and strikeout total this season, with 48 walks and 54 strikeouts. That’s the kind of player profile the Guardians know well - only now it belongs to the Giants.
The timing matters, too. Furman is joining a Giants club sitting at 47-65, which should give him plenty of runway the rest of the season, especially if Luis Arraez gets dealt.
Bresnahan, meanwhile, is still very much part of the story. MLB Pipeline has him ranked as the Giants’ No. 7 prospect, and he has put together a 2.93 ERA across 76 2/3 innings at High-A this season. He’s beginning to look like someone who could factor into San Francisco’s future.
The Guardians did hit on their 2024 signings of Matthew Boyd and Ben Lively, but the Cobb trade is a reminder that their luck with injured pitchers has clear limits. Furman’s promotion only sharpens that lesson.
In Other News...
Chase DeLauters Exit Leaves Guardians Facing A Brutal Offensive Question
Chase DeLauter had been giving the Guardians the kind of middle-of-the-order production they badly needed, emerging as one of their most reliable bats in a rookie season that had already produced plenty of damage. Hitting .286 with 13 home runs and 57 RBI, he had become a central piece of Clevelands offense, the sort of hitter opponents had to account for every night.
Then came the third inning against the Padres, when DeLauter left with a mild left hamstring strain and forced a quick reshuffle in the outfield. Angel Martnez took over in left field, with Jo Adell moving to right, and the sudden change only underscored how much the Guardians lean on DeLauters presence while waiting to see how long they may have to manage without him. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Get Called Out At The Worst Possible Time
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The timing is especially frustrating because the Guardians still have a chance to matter in the standings, even if the path looks bumpy right now. They also have another concern in the relief corps after Colin Holderman was hurt, leaving one more question hanging over a group that already needs cleaner innings and better execution to get back on track. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Prospects Are Forcing One Big Question About Clevelands Future
MLB Pipelines latest refresh of every clubs farm system says plenty about how quickly the Guardians have restocked around the edges of the big-league roster. Recent draft classes and trade-deadline movement helped shape the new list, but the real eye-opener is the quality at the top: Angel Genao, Ralphy Velazquez, Braylon Doughty, Juneiker Caceres and Cooper Ingle give Cleveland a group that looks deeper and more intriguing than it did a year ago.
Justin Campbell is another name worth watching, especially after he went from unranked to No. 10 in the system following his professional debut this season. The larger question for Cleveland is no longer whether help is coming, but how much of it is arriving soon enough to influence the clubs next phase, and which of these prospects will be the ones to push their way into the conversation first. [Read more 🡒]