Toronto Blue Jays’ pitcher Shane Bieber has only been with his new organization for two weeks, but with a $16 million player option for 2026, his days in Canada could be numbered.
At least, that’s the belief of CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa, who predicts that the former Cy Young Award winner will turn down his player option and elect free agency this offseason.
Bieber is reportedly nearing a return to the majors after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April of 2024. He’s carried a 2.45 ERA across six rehab starts in the minors this season and is expected to pitch at least once more before making his Blue Jays’ debut, per Axisa.
“Based on how his rehab is going (reports about his stuff have been positive), I would expect Bieber to decline the player option and go out into free agency,” he wrote. “The $4 million buyout means it’s a $12 million decision for him and $12 million is nothing for a good starter these days.”
Axisa also notes that the 30-year-old right-hander has plenty of productive seasons ahead of him. All he has to do now is pitch well for Toronto so he can cash in come wintertime.
But the Blue Jays are very much in the moment, holding the best record in the American League at 70-51. Toronto’s plan for Bieber likely revolves around October, when he could be tasked with helping the Blue Jays win a World Series title for the first time since 1993.
But Toronto has already said it wouldn’t be opposed to keeping him past this season.
“It’s just so exciting to think about him in this organization moving forward,” GM Ross Atkins said on TSN 1050’s OverDrive two weeks ago via MLB.com. “We’re open (to keeping Bieber beyond 2025). We are obviously extremely interested or we wouldn’t have given up such a significant piece. For now, we’re just focused on the impact this year.”
Bieber was traded from Cleveland for right-handed pitching prospect Khal Stephen on Trade Deadline Day. They were likely concerned about paying his player option if he didn’t pitch well or had another health setback.