This week, an unexpected wave of excitement swept through Guardians fan circles—not because of a trade, but due to a glitch. ESPN mistakenly displayed veteran left-hander Patrick Corbin as a Cleveland Guardians player, sparking a flurry of speculation and hope among fans eager for pitching reinforcements. Though Corbin is currently signed with the Rangers, the error ignited a brief, dream-fueled conversation: what if the former All-Star really was headed to Cleveland?

There’s a reason for the Guardians fans to be hopeful about Corbin. His tenure with the Rangers in 2025 has been marked by resilience and adaptability. After signing with the Rangers in March, Corbin was initially assigned to the minors but was recalled to the major league roster on April 4. In his early appearances, Corbin has posted a 2–1 record with a 3.79 ERA over 19 innings, accumulating 15 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.58. Notably, on April 28, he struck out five batters over 4⅔ innings against the Athletics, allowing two runs.

However, why are the Guardians fans hopeful? Because ESPN wrongly depicted Corbin in the Cleveland cap! Trading leaks? Maybe or not, but it is unlikely that the Rangers will trade one of their key contributors.

Remember Corbin’s performance on April 17? Corbin pitched 5⅓ innings, yielding just one run and striking out six in a 3–1 victory over the Angels. This feat was achieved despite Corbin dealing with a swollen foot from a suspected venomous bite suffered two days prior, which had cast doubt on his ability to start. Overall, Corbin’s contributions have provided valuable depth to the Rangers’ rotation, demonstrating his veteran presence and ability to overcome adversity.

For starters, the Guardians’ pitching staff has shown resilience despite some early-season challenges. Tanner Bibee delivered a strong performance against the Yankees, allowing two runs over six innings to earn the win on April 23. The bullpen, anchored by relievers like Cade Smith, has effectively closed out games. Hence, it would not be a bad choice to get Corbin to the team, and the gaffe by ESPN just made them more hopeful.

Fans are left amazed by the Rangers’ pitcher

While the mix-up was purely technical, the fan reaction reveals just how hungry the Guardians faithful are for experienced arms.

“Script leak. No spoiler warning?? Ignore & ban.” One fan is anticipating that the move to place Corbin with a Cleveland cap is nothing but an early move from the Rangers to the Guardians. Is it so? Well, Corbin’s move to the Rangers in March 2025 caught many by surprise. After completing a six-year, $140 million contract with the Nationals, Corbin inked a one-year deal with the Rangers worth $1.1 million, plus incentives. Something similar to the Guardians? There have been no credible reports linking Corbin to the Guardians. As of now, he remains a member of the Texas Rangers, contributing his veteran experience to their pitching staff.

Another fan is also asking what’s cooking with Corbin. “Do they know something we don’t?” Remember the Adam Dunn saga in 2008? Some media outlets prematurely reported that Dunn had been traded from the Reds before the deal was finalized. The report turned out to be only partially correct—he was eventually traded, but not to the initially reported team. However, this time? Fans need to test their patience if their speculations are correct.

Is it true that ESPN doesn’t care for baseball? “More proof that ESPN doesn’t care about baseball.” Well, their production value differs for baseball. How? Baseball often takes a backseat to the NFL, NBA, and even college football in ESPN’s daily programming. While football and basketball shows are full of debates and film breakdowns, baseball often gets surface-level segments. So, no—they haven’t abandoned baseball, but the sport isn’t the priority it once was in their hierarchy.

“Looks like the Rangers traded Matt Festa to Cleveland yesterday, so guessing that’s the origin of this.” If the veteran pitcher, Matt Festa, can get traded by the Rangers to the Guardians, then why not Corbin? Yes, the Guardians do have a legitimate need for more pitching depth, particularly in their bullpen and back-end starting rotation. The Guardians rely on a mix of unproven arms or swingmen to bridge the middle innings, and that can get taxed over a 162-game season. Corbin will be a good addition.

What if Corbin is not getting traded by the Rangers, and is coming down to Cleveland? “This is how we find out the Rangers are moving from Arlington to Cleveland, Texas.” While this is a sarcastic take on the error made by ESPN, things can get possible anytime in baseball. Consider what the Athletics are doing in shifting from Oakland to Las Vegas. However, anyway it is, Corbin is not coming to the Guardians, at least for now.

Nevertheless, mistaken early reports or premature trade announcements by media outlets have happened multiple times in sports history. It’s better to accept it with a pinch of salt. What do you think?