Blue Jays To Acquire Former Cy Young Winner Shane Bieber From Guardians
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According to MLB insider Jon Morosi, the Toronto Blue Jays have made an early splash on the day of the MLB trade deadline, as the team has acquired right-handed pitcher Shane Bieber from the Cleveland Guardians.
The Blue Jays will be sending pitching prospect Khal Stephen in a one-for-one swap that will see Toronto add an impactful starter to their rotation.
In 136 career appearances with the Guardians, Bieber is 62-32 with a 3.22 ERA and 958 strikeouts in 843 innings of work.
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The 30-year-old California native made his MLB debut in 2018, but he broke out in his first full season during the 2019 campaign when he was named an All-Star and finished fourth in American League Cy Young voting.
Bieber followed that up with a dominant effort in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, as he won the AL Cy Young by going 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA.
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The University of California product has appeared in just two games since the 2023 season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, but his recovery made him an intriguing trade deadline asset as he seems poised to return to the big leagues in time for the stretch run.
Bieber made a rehab start on Tuesday with Double-A Akron, in which he threw four innings of one-run, seven-strikeout ball.
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Stephen is a quality prospect to give up, but this is a worthwhile move for Toronto given the team's need for another high-level starter to join Kevin Gausman and Jose Berrios.
The Blue Jays took Stephen in the second round of the 2024 MLB draft, and in nine starts this year with High-A Vancouver, he's posted a 1.49 ERA while striking out more than a batter per inning.
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Kyle Morton has covered various sports from amateur to professional level athletics. A graduate of Fordham University, Kyle specializes in MLB and NHL coverage while having previous bylines with SB Nation, The Hockey Writers, HighSchoolOT, and Sports World News. He spent time working the beat for the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes and is an avid fan of the NHL, MLB, NFL and college basketball. Enjoys the outdoors and hiking in his free time away from sports.