It’s never an easy decision to trade a former Cy Young Award winner, but that’s what Cleveland did on the final day of the MLB Trade Deadline last week.
The Guardians sent two-time All-Star Shane Bieber to the Toronto Blue Jays for RHP Khal Stephen—the Blue Jays’ 2024 second-round pick from Mississippi State. The trade came as Bieber was on the verge of returning to the Majors after Cleveland helped him rehab from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in April 2024.
Here’s what went into the decision to trade Bieber, as explained by Paul Hoynes on cleveland.com.
"If they kept Bieber for the stretch run, and he didn’t pitch well, or had another setback as he did in May, he could have exercised his $16 million player option for 2026. That’s a big contract for the Guardians to carry, especially if there are questions about his health," he wrote.
Bieber carried a $16 million player option for 2026, and Cleveland knew keeping him until the end of the season was a risk. If Bieber pitched well, he likely would have rejected his player option and become a free agent. The Guardians could then give him a qualifying offer, receiving a draft pick at the very least if Bieber didn’t take it.
But the worst-case scenario—that Bieber didn’t pitch well or struggled to stay healthy—would have put Cleveland in a bind. Bieber could have exercised his $16 million player option for next season, locking the Guardians into a massive contract that may not have paid off.
So, Cleveland decided to deal Bieber for another right-handed pitcher. Stephen, at just 22 years old, reached Double-A in his first year as a professional, boasting a 2.06 ERA (21 ER in 91.2 IP) across 18 games (17 starts) in the minors. He was assigned to Double-A Akron last week.