This Guardians Star Identified As Potential Trade Candidate By MLB.com

MLB.com views Cleveland Guardians ace Shane Bieber as a possible trade contender this offseason.

The hot stove is certainly heating up, especially in the starting pitching market. The Cleveland Guardians have been fairly quiet to start this offseason, but all of that could change in a split second.

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand put together a list of potential trade candidates from each team. He identified ace Shane Bieber as someone who could be moved before Spring Training next February.

This is what he had to say about the situation:

"A right elbow injury sidelined Bieber for most of the second half, but he made two starts in September and looked healthy. Assuming the Guardians can get a decent return for the 2020 AL Cy Young winner, his eight-figure salary -- he earned $10.01 million in 2023 and will likely get a raise in his final year of arbitration -- could prompt Cleveland to deal Bieber. The Guardians could also wait until next summer to trade the right-hander, hoping he regains his form and raises his trade value."

Jun 6, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber (57) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / © Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Seeing Bieber pop up in trade discussions yet again is far from shocking. There's been rumors about him being dealt dating all the way back to May.

It's true that 2023 was one of Bieber's toughest seasons since his rookie campaign, as he finished with a 3.80 ERA. However, the value of starting pitching can never be underestimated, especially if an organization gets desperate.

Earlier in the offseason, Guardians General Manager Mike Chernoff said during the GM Meetings that they expect Bieber to be in the Guardians' rotation moving forward. He also left the door open for a potential trade if one were to become available. 

We'll see if this offseason is the time when that goes down, but Feinsand and MLB.com currently view it as a possibility.