Evaluating Cleveland Guardians’ Trade Of Fan Favorite Shane Bieber

CLEVELAND, OH – JULY 30: Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber in the dugout during the fourth inning of the Major League Baseball Interleague game between the Colorado Rockies and Cleveland Guardians on July 30, 2025, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The mastery of Shane Bieber as an All Star pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians has ended.

Bieber, a 2020 American League Cy Young Award winner, was traded July 31 to the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Guardians received prospect right-handed pitcher, Khal Stephen in return. More about Stephen later.

Bieber is still rehabilitating from Tommy John surgery conducted in April 2024.

Bieber was rehabilitating at Double-A Akron when he was traded.

To this old scout, the Guardians made the best deal possible for Bieber.

No longer in his prime, time will tell if Bieber has magic on the mound.

Bieber was an All Star in 2019, and 2021. He won a Gold Glove in 2022.

In parts of seven seasons, Bieber, 30, had a 62-32 record with Cleveland. He threw to a sparkling 3.22 ERA, and 1.11 WHIP in 134 starts.

Bieber was a 4th round draft pick of the then Cleveland Indians in 2016.

He became a free agent after the 2024 season, but signed back with Cleveland in December.

Bieber was currently working on a Guardians contract that paid him $10M. Bieber holds a player option in the contract worth $16M for the 2026 season. The Toronto Blue Jays now control his contract, which includes a $4M buyout clause.

In essence, the Guardians were hoping Bieber would return in the second half this season, and help lead them to a playoff berth.

Instead, Bieber had a few setbacks during his rehabilitation path, and Cleveland didn’t get to see him on a major league mound before the Thursday July 31 trade deadline.

The Blue Jays swooped in an are taking a risk on Bieber. The rewards could be substantial.

The Blue Jays may be renting Bieber to help them in their quest for a World Series Championship.

The Blue Jays are leading the American League east division over the New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox.

If Bieber pays off for Toronto, they can hope he accepts his player option with their team. If he doesn’t, he will get $4M, and a chance to hit free agency once again.

About Prospect Pitcher Khal Stephen:

Khal Stephen was a 2nd round pick of the Blue Jays in the 2024 draft.

Stephen received a $1,116,750 signing bonus out of Ole Miss.

Pitching at Mississippi, Stephen appeared in 53 games, with 30 of them starts.

He threw 205.2 innings at Mississippi, finishing with a record of 18-11, an ERA of 4.81, and a 1.24 WHIP. He had three years of college pitching..

A big man, the right-handed starting pitcher is 6-4, 215 pounds.

Stephen is 22-years-old

This year, Stephen has pitched a three levels for Toronto. He made seven starts at Class-A Dunedin, nine starts at Class-A Advanced Vancouver, and one start at Double-A New Hampshire.

Stephen’s record this year combined is 9-1, with a sparkling 2.06 ERA, and 0.90 WHIP, covering 91.2 innings.

Stephen is currently dealing with a shoulder impingement, which may be part of the reason the Blue Jays were willing to make him available to Cleveland.

In this old scout’s experience, shoulder issues are very difficult to treat. The issues often transfer to the elbow, or forearm.

It is highly likely the Guardians closely scrutinized Stephen’s medical records before trading Bieber to Toronto.

However, the risk for Cleveland is minimal.

If Stephen can overcome the impingement with no further damage or complications, the team has a potential starting pitcher with total team control once he reaches their big league club.

It is likely Stephen will start next season continuing his minor league development to determine his health, and allow him to soak in the masterful guidance of the Guardians highly regarded pitching coaches.

Summary:

In his best days with Cleveland, Shane Bieber was masterful.

Elbow issues started to creep in, and he ultimately required Tommy John surgery.

The Guardians guided him throughout his rehabilitation, and were careful not to tax him in the process.

Bieber showed enough in his Double-A Akron start on July 29 to interest teams in trading for him.

Now, after a wonderful career on the mound in Cleveland, Shane Bieber takes his All Star and Cy Young resume’ to Toronto.

This old scout is pulling for Shane Bieber to resurrect his career in the fashion he showed while with the Cleveland franchise.