The Cleveland Guardians officially announced the John Means signing this week.
It means that they needed to create a space on the 40-man roster to make room for their new lefty.
Cleveland had several possible avenues to achieve this.
They could have designated someone for assignment, but that seemed counterproductive given their other options.
The Guards ended up sending one of their players with long-term injuries to the 60-day list.
They had their choice between Shane Bieber and David Fry.
The latter was the one they picked.
“To make room for the John Means signing today the Cleveland #Guardians have placed David Fry on the 60-day IL to start the season,” Guardians Prospective posted on X.
To make room for the John Means signing today the Cleveland #Guardians have placed David Fry on the 60-day IL to start the season.
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) February 19, 2025
Fry, who made the All-Star team last year and posted a career-best 129 wRC+ with 14 home runs, is recovering from Tommy John surgery performed in November.
The team estimates he can return to designated hitting duties by June, but the field won’t be in play until much later in the season.
This transaction guarantees he won’t be back before June, though.
It’s probably for the best, anyway: the Guardians need Fry to return as close to his best version as possible, and he might need some time in the minors to regain his rhythm at the plate after such a long absence.
The fact that it wasn’t Bieber the one going to the 60-day IL leaves a door open for a return before June, which would be close to a best-case scenario for him and the Guardians.
He is ahead of schedule and could surprise a few people with his return date.
NEXT: Analyst Reveals Why Shane Bieber Chose To Stay With Guardians
