Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Thursday, June 29, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo.
AP Photo | Charlie Riedel
CLEVELAND — The Guardians acquired right-handed reliever Wes Parsons from Toronto on Wednesday in exchange for $250,000 in international bonus pool money, the club announced.
Parsons, 31, was immediately optioned to Triple-A Columbus. In a corresponding move, Cleveland placed starting pitcher Shane Bieber on the 60-day injured list in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Parsons. Bieber suffered a season-ending elbow injury and is headed for reconstructive surgery in the near future.
Parsons made two relief appearances for the Blue Jays before he was designated for assignment on April 5. He spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons in Korea after stops in Atlanta and Colorado. He holds a 7.40 ERA with 6.3 strikeouts per nine innings in 36 major league appearances after debuting with the Braves in 2018.
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt described the 6-foot-5 Parsons as a “power arm” who has the ability to give Cleveland starting length as well as experience in the bullpen.
“Another versatile arm that is going to give us some depth in an area where we need it,” Vogt said. “I’m excited to get him on board and see what he can do.”
Bieber, meanwhile, will have surgery Friday in Dallas to address his injured elbow. The operation will be performed by Dr. Keith Meister, whose past patients include Jacob deGrom, Sandy Alcantra, Eury Perez and most recently Bieber’s teammate, Trevor Stephan.
