Guardians Complete Pitching Depth and Roster Trade With Blue Jays
Like many other baseball teams, the Cleveland Guardians have also been severely impacted by pitching injuries thus far this season. Sam Hentges, Gavin Williams, Trevor Stephan, and James Karinchak all still listed as injured. Shane Bieber is the most recent addition to that list; the team declared last Saturday that Bieber need Tommy John surgery.
The Toronto Blue Jays provided the arm that Cleveland needed to bolster their pitching rotation. On Wednesday afternoon, the Guardians declared that they had acquired RHP Wes Parsons for $250,000 from the International Bonus Pool.
Parsons, 31, inked a contract with the Blue Jays in 2023 after pitching in Korea from 2021–2022. Prior to being assigned on April 5, he made two appearances in relief for the team this season. Following his acquisition, Cleveland formally optioned him to Triple-A Columbus.
Bieber was placed on the 60-day disabled list by Cleveland on Wednesday, which was their other significant roster change. When the news first leaked, the organization placed him on a 15-day IL, although that was primarily a procedural measure. Though it’s not official yet, Bieber stated on Monday that he hoped to have Tommy John surgery this week.
The Guardians have numerous challenges as a result of Bieber’s injury. They currently need more pitching, and historically, they’ve been quite good at it. Maybe they think Parsons has something that would make him a solid arm for the bullpen this season.