Shane Bieber, a pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians, hasn’t been able to play since April due to Tommy John surgery. Add to that the fact that Bieber will be a free agent in the offseason, which will make things even more difficult for the Guardians and their already precarious starting rotation. Nevertheless, there’s a chance that Bieber will return to Cleveland; in a recent article, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report discussed Bieber’s impending free agency and did not rule out the possibility of the right-hander taking a qualifying offer.
In order to potentially position himself for a lucrative long-term contract the following offseason, that would imply Bieber would sign a one-year contract to rejoin the Guardians.
Undoubtedly, Bieber is a hazardous play.
He has made 16, 31, 21, and two starts in the previous four seasons. During that time, he only had one successful season (going 13-8 with a 2.88 ERA) in 2022.
There is no denying that Bieber is among baseball’s best pitchers when he is correct. He was the AL Cy Young winner in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, going 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA and striking out 122 batters in 77.1 innings pitched.
However, Bieber’s inconsistent injury history will undoubtedly reduce his market worth, and it seems highly improbable that a cost-conscious team like Cleveland will sign him to a multi-year contract.
The 29-year-old would, however, be welcome to return for at least one more season in 2025, according to the Guardians. In a few months, we’ll see if that turns out to be a realistic option.
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