San Francisco Giants Finally Reveal Last Detail of Alex Cobb Trade
On July 30th, the San Francisco Giants sent Alex Cobb to the Cleveland Guardians for starting pitcher Jacob Bresnahan and a player to be named later. On Monday, it was announced who the final piece of the deal would be: an infielder, Nate Furman, according to FanSided's Robert Murray.
Furman, a utility infielder, was drafted in the fourth round of the 2022 MLB draft out of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In his two minor league seasons, he has made it as high as Double-A, which he did this season.
However, the 23-year-old is currently on the 60-day injured list due to a shoulder injury.
In his first year of professional baseball in 2023, Furman played 108 games in which he had an OPS of .703 with 11 doubles and 32 RBIs. He did not hit any home runs, but he did steal 37 bases.
His power improved in 2024. In 37 games at High-A, Furman hit seven home runs, two doubles and a triple while slashing .338/.417/.500 with a .917 OPS before being promoted to Double-A.
Following his promotion, the infielder struggled before hitting the injured list on June 29. In 13 Double-A games, he slashed .125/.300/.200 with two extra base hits.
Furman provides a solid contact tool with some speed, as well as a good eye at the plate. So far in his career, he has walked 91 times to his 93 strikeouts, so he will always give a good at-bat. While he may not provide much power, he could be a good top of the order, infield depth piece.
Despite him being hurt right now, this looks like a nice addition to the Giants system. When he comes back and can be healthy, he will likely move up the ranks pretty quickly.
The other player in this deal, Jacob Bresnahan, has pitched five games at Single-A since the trade and has struggled. In 12.2 innings, he has allowed 20 earned runs while posting a 10.7 K/9, but a 7.8 BB/9.
On the other hand, Alex Cobb has come back from the injured list to pitch in two games for the Guardians, allowing five earned runs in 10.1 innings, but only four strikeouts to three walks.
With Robbie Ray set to get an MRI, the Giants could use the depth of Alex Cobb in the big leagues. Instead, they opted to bolster the farm system and finalized that on Monday. Furman may never be a star or even everyday player, but he could be a very useful bench piece.