It seems like a very long time ago, and in some ways, it is. Shane Bieber used to be one of the best arms in Major League Baseball, accomplishing things that the Cleveland Guardians loved.
Unfortunately, after undergoing Tommy Johnson surgery last year, Bieber has still yet to pitch in a major league game this season.
The Guardians took matters into their own hands, sending him to the Toronto Blue Jays at the trade deadline. Whether that was the right or wrong decision only remains to be seen, and one could certainly question why the Guardians signed him just to have him rehab and move on from him, but the organization likely didn't think it would be in the position it currently is.
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Bieber, who loved Cleveland and wanted to make that known, spoke with reporters after being traded to the Blue Jays, saying that it was a “range of emotions” and that it's the only organization he's known throughout his entire MLB career.
“It was a range of emotions. There’s no reason to shy away from that, right?” he said, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. “That is the only organization that I’ve known and that my family has known. Already, within the last 36 hours, the range of people in this organization who have reached out to not just myself, but my wife, that means the world to us. “
For his sake, especially if he returns to the mound sometime over the next month or so, which remains uncertain at this moment, Bieber will now at least have an opportunity to compete for a World Series.
He noted that the Blue Jays have been great to him so far, which is awesome to see, even for Cleveland fans who might miss him.
“You can tell how much they care about accommodating us and how seamless they want to make this transition,” he continued. “To come to a team with so much momentum right now is exciting. It’s invigorating.”