Well… this is wild. The Jays have traded for Shane Bieber, sending pitching prospect Khal Stephen to the Guardians in return. One-for-one deal. Bieber hasn’t pitched in the majors this season — he had Tommy John surgery back in April — but he’s been rehabbing and could be back by mid-August. Before the injury, the …
Well… this is wild. The Jays have traded for Shane Bieber, sending pitching prospect Khal Stephen to the Guardians in return. One-for-one deal.
Bieber hasn’t pitched in the majors this season — he had Tommy John surgery back in April — but he’s been rehabbing and could be back by mid-August. Before the injury, the guy was solid: career 3.22 ERA, 8.9 K/9, and a 2020 Cy Young to his name. When healthy, he’s one of the better right-handers in the game.
This is a bit of a “go for it” move. Bieber’s a free agent after this year unless he picks up a $16 million player option for 2026, which he probably won’t if he finishes the year strong.
So yeah, it’s a rental. But if the Jays get even 75% of prime Bieber, that’s a huge piece for a playoff run. Add him to a rotation with Gausman, Berríos, Bassitt, and Scherzer? Yikes.
We’ll see how he looks once he’s back on the mound, but this is a big-time swing from Toronto.
