The Cleveland Guardians' Biggest Offseason Decision, Revealed

The Cleveland Guardians have a pretty significant decision to make this winter.

Cleveland Guardians' Shane Bieber (57) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix on June 17, 2023. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Cleveland Guardians are typically not one of the more active teams around the MLB hot stove. They historically don't spend a whole lot of money, and major trades are not their modus operandi.

However, the Guardians will be forced to make a major decision on one of their biggest stars this offseason. And what does that entail?

Deciding what to do with starting pitcher Shane Bieber, which Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter identifies as Cleveland's most important decision of the winter.

You may have forgotten due to the fact that he has been sidelined since April due to Tommy John surgery, but Bieber is the ace of the Guardians' staff.

The problem is that the 29-year-old is slated to hit free agency in the offseason, and he will likely be one of the most sought-after arms on the open market.

Of course, Bieber carries major risk. He has an extensive injury history, and over the last four seasons, he has made 16, 31, 21 and two starts, respectively. His only full campaign throughout that stretch came in 2022, when he went 13-8 with a 2.88 ERA.

On the other hand, Bieber offers major upside. He was dominant in that aforementioned fully healthy season, and during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, he won the AL Cy Young award after going 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA across 12 starts.

Reuter suggests that Cleveland offer Bieber a backloaded two-year deal, which would be mutually beneficial. Not only would it give the Guardians some short-term value, but it would allow Bieber to hit the free-agent market again rather quickly in an effort to land a longer, more lucrative contract.

We'll see what the Guardians decide to do with Bieber a few months from now.