The Guardians trade deadline wasn’t sexy, but needed
We got trades, folks! The endless scrolling of Twitter ((Forever Twitter, Never X.)) for trade updates is over! We actually have moves to talk about after days of waiting. As the dust settled hours after the Guardians swept the Tigers, they came away with two moves to bolster their outfield and floundering back of the rotation as the 6 p.m. deadline passed. Though for some parts of the fanbase, it might not be the big swings they were hoping for, they were sensible acquisitions that the team needed. The question will be how impactful they will be for the best team in AL trying to conquer a 76-year title drought; while we are on the subject, let's meet our new Guardians.
Lane Thomas
A move that was consummated 20 minutes into the game on July 29th, Lane Thomas brings stability to a revolving door in right field. It came at the cost of three prospects, but for a team that needed the help, it was a price worth paying. When the players that have patrolled right field only generated a collective WRC+ of 86, they probably didn't have to think twice. An above-average right-handed bat that obliterates left-handed pitching, Thomas brings much-needed length to the order, should play almost every day, and can slide higher in the lineup depending on the matchup. He also brings speed, having stolen 28 bags already this year, which, for a team that loves to create chaos, is very enticing. Plus, he fits into the Guardians mold, with good bat-to-ball skills and an excellent chase rate (91st percentile, according to Baseball Savant), filling a short-term need and into the future as he is arbitration eligible in 2025.
Alex Cobb
Getting an experienced pitcher is good. However, acquiring a pitcher who hasn't pitched all year can be quite scary. Could he be better than Carlos Carrasco? Sure, but does it have to be this complicated? That is the predicament that dawned on most Guardians fans, who knew that the team needed back-of-the-rotation help but might need to wait a couple of rehab starts to finally be unveiled. The one thing that is for sure is that he knows how to pitch at the big league level; compared to the inexperience of Joey Cantillo and Xzavion Curry, there's a certain degree of trust he can get the Guardos over the finish line into the postseason. The 13-year veteran has been a solid starter who runs a sub-4 ERA for his career and has the propensity to induce grounders, being in the 95th percentile in groundball rate in 2023. With one of the better defensive infields in baseball behind him, it might be a match made in heaven in a postseason environment. It is a low-risk, high-reward type of move, considering that the front office has now paired Cobb with Matthew Boyd, who is on his own rehab assignment coming off Tommy John to fill out the rotation. All of the moving parts of the pitching staff makes it a potentially risky proposition for the rest of the season and hopefully into October, but with the carousel of arms the last four months, betting on experience might be the best option for this year with the rotation being in flux, especially with Cobb who has legitimate upside when healthy.