It’s no secret that the Toronto Blue Jays acquired former CY Young Award-winning pitcher Shane Bieber with an eye towards October baseball.
The red hot Jays, who currently lead the American League East Division by three games over the hard charging Boston Red Sox, made a loud statement that they are all in to win, when at this years July 31st trade deadline, they dealt minor league pitcher and one of the team’s top prospect Khal Stephen to the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for two-time All-Star and 2020 CY Young Award winner Shane Bieber.
“My initial reaction was I was excited,” Bieber said. “I wasn’t totally anticipating it, but I was shocked.”
Shane Bieber Showing Encouraging Signs In Rehab Stints
Bieber’s Career as a Cleveland Guardian
Bieber, originally selected by Cleveland in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, made his official debut with them in 2018 and, since then, has put together a 62-32 record, which includes 958 strikeouts and a career 3.22 ERA.
During his time with Cleveland, Bieber was a two-time All-Star in 2019 and 2021. His best season came a year earlier, when in 2020 he put together an 8-1 record with a 1.63 ERA along with 122 strikeouts to not only win the AL CY Young Award but also the American League pitching triple crown.
Since that CY Young Award season, Bieber went 28-18 and pitched for Cleveland in some playoff games.
Bieber Rehabbing From Tommy John Surgery
Bieber started the 2024 season on fire as he threw 12 scoreless innings over his first two starts, when suddenly, on April 6, 2024, the Guardians made it official that their star pitcher would be undergoing Tommy John surgery, which obviously meant he wouldn’t be back that season.
This past July, before Bieber was traded, he took a giant forward in his rehab when on July 15th, the 30-year-old pitched for the Guardians’ rookie-level affiliate in what was his first rehab assignment in what would be a long road back to the majors.
Since then, Bieber has pitched for the more advanced levels of the Guardians and Blue Jays affiliates and has had encouraging results in his rehabs.
“I’m more pleased with not thinking about my health,” Bieber said after becoming a Blue Jay. “I think that says a lot about how far I’ve come post-surgery, where my body is at and where my mind is at. I’m focused on ramping up to compete in the big leagues. That’s a fun place to be. That’s what I’ve missed, and that’s what I’ve strived for. I’m close now, but it’s easier said than done.”
Blue Jays Show They are all in With Bieber Trade
Without a doubt, the addition of Bieber makes the Blue Jays’ rotation more scarier. He has been simply dominant in his rehab starts, including his latest one at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, when pitching for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, he allowed only 2 runs in 5 innings while striking out six and retiring seven of the final eight hitters in an eventual 4-3 loss against Syracuse.
“I continue to progress, feel better throughout my outings, and in between innings,” Bieber said. “I was happy how today finished up. All in all, just kind of dissecting the outing. There’s still some things to clean up.”
The real value of this trade will come in October when the experience of Bieber will help the pitching staff in a short playoff series.
This trade should make the Blue Jays legitimate World Series contenders. However, there is that small risk given that Bieber hasn’t thrown a pitch in an MLB game since April 2024.
If Bieber returns from rehab and is a big factor in the Blue Jays having post-season success, then general manager Ross Atkins will look like a genius.
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