Pros, Cons Of Guardians Trading Shane Bieber
Whether or not Shane Bieber is on the Cleveland Guardians' Opening Day roster in 2024 will be a talking point all throughout the offseason. There was plenty of trade interest before the deadline last season, but his injury put all of that to rest.
Moving Cleveland's ace is a much more complicated dilemma at this point so let's get into some pros and cons of each side.
Pros Of Trading Bieber
1. Upgrade Lineup
The Guardians need to upgrade their lineup and if they're looking to make a trade then Bieber could be their biggest bargaining piece to offer. He's a Cy Young winner, All-Star game MVP, and has pitched in a number of big moments.
2. Starting Rotation Depth
Cleveland's rookie pitchers Logan Allen, Tanner Bibee, and Gavin William stepped up in a big way when the team's rotation took a hit in 2023. Now that the organization knows they can count on this trio with a number of veterans thrown in there too, they can feel much better about moving on from Bieber.
3. Bieber's Contract
Bieber is set to be an unrestricted free agent after the 2024 season. He'll likely demand a big contract when looking at his resume and extending pitchers in this situation isn't something Cleveland typically does (Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, and Mike Clevinger all being examples of this).
If the Guardians don't feel like Bieber will be around in 2025, it would make sense to move on from him now.
Cons Of Moving Bieber
1. Questionable Trade Value
Bieber is undoubtedly still one of the league's best pitchers. However, he isn't the pitcher he was when he won the Cy Young in 2020. Bieber had an ERA of 3.80 in 2023 (the highest since his rookie season) while other obvious struggles emerged too.
Bieber's value may not be as high right now as it could be if Cleveland holds on to him until the start of next season.
2. Losing Experience
The Guardians could be losing a pitcher with six full seasons and multiple playoff appearances if they chose to move on from Bieber.
Yes, Cleveland's rotation appears to be in good hands. However, we can't discredit the value and knowledge that a pitcher who's competed in a number of big games can provide to the next wave of pitchers.
May 31, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Shane Bieber (57) delivers in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports
© Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports
3. Sending Away A Darn Good Pitcher
Fans can look at Bieber's last couple of seasons and point to areas where he's begun to regress. But these numbers are compared to his 2020 Cy Young season which is one of the most dominant runs in recent memory.
Bieber is still a fantastic pitcher and moving on from him now could affect the team's ceiling next year.
