Ex-Guardians ace Shane Bieber makes a decision on his 2026 team

Former Cleveland Guardians ace Shane Bieber has made a decision on where he will pitch in 2026.

Oct 28, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Shane Bieber (57) pitches during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game four of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Cleveland Guardians fans may have felt plenty of sympathy for Shane Bieber when he took the loss in last weekend's World Series Game 7. Bieber was with the organization since 2016 and was a true ace, winning the AL Cy Young award in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.

Then came the injury. He underwent Tommy John surgery early in the 2024 season, and began working his way back around the 2025 trade deadline. The Guardians were struggling at the time, hindsight is 20/20, and Bieber was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays before the deadline.

Of course, he went on to rebound in a major way and even out-dueled Shohei Ohtani in Game 4 of the World Series.

His resurgence brought his overall market value into play. He did own a $16 million player option for 2026, but projections said he was worth much more in a multi-year deal. Yet Bieber decided to make a quick decision by picking up that option for 2026 in Toronto.

Shane Bieber is staying in Toronto, per @JonHeyman pic.twitter.com/Nij8aw250E

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) November 5, 2025

This may not have been a surprise for Bieber or the Blue Jays. However, he was a potential offseason target for the Guardians, given the history between the two sides. Alas, Bieber is taking what is still a hefty sum and may be betting on himself to have a great year and earn even more. Even if he struggles, that $16 million salary should support him and his family for a very long time.

The Guardians had him on the roster and decided to move on. Now that he accepted his option, the door on Bieber is officialy closed. At least for 2026.

As mentioned by plenty of fans, the Guardians enter most offseasons with plenty of unknowns. Specifically, will ownership decide to spend? That is the constant question, and comes into further focus with a looming lockout in 2027 over the issues of a salary cap and floor.

The team also made the ALCS in 2024 and the ALDS in 2025 without breaking the bank. Thus, ownership might see no need to give a pitcher or any player, other than Jose Ramirez, a salary over $10-20 million.

The pitching staff is somewhat set for 2026, but can always be improved.

For now, Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee hold down the top two spots. Slade Cecconi and Joey Cantillo are two other solid options, leaving a final spot for the likes of Parker Messick, John Means, or Logan Allen. Means is the most expensive of the bunch if the team picks up his $6 million option, while Bibee is next at $4.4 million. The rest of the mentioned pitchers are all below $1 million before any offseason deals.

Ownership has a clear path to a cheap rotation now that Bieber has decided to stay in Toronto. Passing on Matthew Boyd in 2025 seemed to signal a clear motion toward a youth movement. Will that be the case in 2026 as well. History tells us the answer is an overwhelming "yes".