This AL Rival Could Steal Away Cleveland Guardians' Star Pitcher

The Cleveland Guardians could lose starting pitcher Shane Bieber to this American League rival in free agency.

Jul 9, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber (57) and catcher Cam Gallagher (35) look to the scoreboard during the sixth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Guardians have unfortunately had one of the worst starting rotations in baseball this season, and much of that has to do with the absence of Shane Bieber.

Bieber went down with an elbow injury back in April and had to undergo Tommy John surgery as a result.

The catch is that Bieber will be a free agent this coming offseason, and the notoriously cost-conscious Guardians may not be able to retain him.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic has ranked Bieber as the 12th-best free agent that will be available over the winter, and he names the Texas Rangers as a club that could potentially steal the star right-hander away from Cleveland.

The Rangers certainly make sense as a possible destination given the amount of injuries their pitching staff has suffered this season.

Of course, Bieber himself has a very checkered injury history.

Outside of 2022, when Bieber made 31 starts and went 13-8 with a sparkling 2.88 ERA, the past several years have been rough for the 29-year-old.

Bieber made just 16 starts in 2021, 21 starts last season and took the mound just twice for the Guardians before being knocked out for the year in 2024.

That being said, Bieber may prove to be a worthwhile risk on a short-term deal.

The Orange, Ca. native already has a Cy Young award under his belt, which he captured during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign when he went 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA over 12 outings. He also lays claim to a lifetime ERA of 3.22 and boasts a terrific strikeout rate, registering 10.2 punchouts per nine innings since entering the majors in 2018.

Bieber has spent his entire big-league career in Cleveland, but his tenure with the Guardians could be coming to an unfortunate end.