Cleveland Guardians Activate Former SF Giants All-Star Ahead of ALDS

It was an unpopular move in the SF Giants clubhouse when veteran pitcher Alex Cobb was shipped to the Cleveland Guardians. However, it did give the 2023 NL All-Star a chance to compete in the playoffs, as the Guardians activated him before the NLDS, according to a team announcement.

Cleveland Guardians Activate Former SF Giants All-Star Ahead of ALDS

Cobb has been one of the steadier Giants pitchers in recent seasons. However, he did not appear for the club this season after undergoing hip surgery in the off-season, followed by a few setbacks.

As the righty pitcher moved closer to a return, he was shipped to the Guardians in a three-way deal. The Giants received young pitcher Jacob Bresnahan and middle infielder Nate Furman in the deal.

The Giants also made this move to free up space in the rotation for Hayden Birdsong. Birdsong has gained valuable experience this year, partly because the season was able to end in the rotation. He posted a 4.75 ERA with 88 strikeouts against 43 walks in 72 innings with San Francisco. This included a promising final outing in which he yielded three earned runs on 11 strikeouts and three walks in 4.1 frames against the St. Louis Cardinals.

On the other hand, Cobb made just three starts with the Guardians before ending the year on the injured list with a blister. During that time, he recorded a 2.76 ERA in 16.1 innings pitched.

In retrospect, it’s easy to say the Giants wouldn’t have benefited much from keeping him on the roster. However, it was a move that was not well received by the clubhouse, as the Giants’ trade deadline strategy did not provide a clear direction for the team.

Instead, the Giants fell out of the playoff race shortly thereafter and the lack of activity or choosing a particular path reflected poorly on the front office.

Interestingly, the Giants will have at least one rotation void to fill this winter. They already have significant commitments in Logan Webb and Robbie Ray, so if they’re looking more for a mid-rotation arm, reuniting with Cobb could be an option.