© Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Guardians Complete Trade With Blue Jays For Pitching Depth, Roster Moves
The Cleveland Guardians trade for RHP Wes Parsons from the Toronto Blue Jays and transfer Shane Bieber to the 60-day IL.
The Cleveland Guardians have been decimated by pitching injuries so far this season, just like a lot of other teams in baseball. Trevor Stephan, James Karinchak, Gavin Williams, and Sam Hentges all remain on the injured list. The latest name to add to that list is Shane Bieber who the team announced last Saturday needs Tommy John Surgery.
Cleveland needed another arm to add to their pitching staff and they turned to the Tortonto Blue Jays to do so. The Guardians announced on Wednesday afternoon that they acquired RHP Wes Parsons in exchange for $250,000 worth of International Bonus Pool money.
Parsons, 31, pitched in Korea from 2021-22 and signed with the Blue Jays in 2023. He made two relief appearances with the club this season before being designated for assignment on April 5. Cleveland has officially optioned him to Triple-A Columbus after his acquisition.
Mar 9, 2024; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Wes Parsons (46) throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies in the fourth inning at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
The other major roster move that Cleveland made on Wednesday was transferring Bieber to the 60-day injured list. The organization originally put him on the 15-day IL when the news broke, but that was just a procedural move more than anything. Bieber said on Monday that he was hoping to get Tommy John surgery sometime this week, but that has yet to be confirmed.
Bieber’s injury presents many challenge for the Guardians. They’ve historically been very good at developing pitching and they need more of it right now. Perhaps they see something in Parsons that could make him a reliable arm for the bullpen this se
