With the Cleveland Guardians in a precarious spot, sitting on the edge of competing for a postseason spot or out of the race entirely, they could be in line to sell some of their players. However, the players they have aren't the most valuable, as most are either old or injured.
But one of those injured players was recently predicted to be traded away at the MLB trade deadline. According to an article from Matthew Schmidt of Sports Illustrated, the Guardians are predicted to trade starting pitcher Shane Bieber at the MLB trade deadline.
"Cleveland re-signed the 30-year-old on a one-year deal over the winter after he made just two starts before sustaining an elbow injury (the one that required the surgery) in 2024." Schmidt writes. "A former AL Cy Young award winner, Bieber has spent his entire eight-year big-league career with the Guardians, but his time in Cleveland could be coming to an end."
Part of why Bieber could be on his way out is that the Guardians would have plenty of teams willing to take a chance on him despite the season-ending injury a year ago. Bieber signed a two-year deal with the Guardians worth $26 million, with a player option for the 2026 season.
So, while Bieber is only around for one more year guaranteed, teams around baseball would be interested. The starting pitcher trade market will be strong in 2025, and Bieber would be one of the most prestigious names on the block if the Guardians shopped him.
In the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, Bieber put up incredible numbers. Through 12 starts, he had a 1.63 ERA, an 8-1 record, and 122 strikeouts. Those all led MLB pitchers in 2020, leading to him being named the AL Cy Young Award winner for 2020.
While he hasn't matched that level of dominance the rest of his career, he's been incredible since his MLB debut in 2018. Bieber has a career ERA+ of 133 and 958 career strikeouts. He also has 62 wins and 32 losses with a 3.22 ERA and a 1.115 WHIP in his seven years playing for the Guardians.
Even after Bieber had a scare in his rehab assignment, as he felt elbow discomfort, the Guardians' starter is likely to draw trade interest around the league.
The prediction from Schmidt that the Guardians move on from Bieber makes sense if the team is willing to sell. With the Guardians at .500, things could trend that direction if they lose games in the lead-up to the MLB trade deadline.