Padres Listed as Best Fit for Former Cy Young Winner

Maren Angus-Coombs | Nov 18, 2024

Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK

Signing a former Cy Young winner might be in the cards for the San Diego Padres this winter but this specific one is probably a longshot.

Shane Bieber’s 2024 season was largely lost to injury, as he spent nearly the entire year on the 60-day injured list. He managed just two scoreless starts early on before undergoing Tommy John surgery in April, likely stemming from an injury that lingered from 2023.

The previous season, Bieber missed two months on the 60-day IL while rehabbing right elbow inflammation. Although he returned in late September, he only made two starts to close out the year.

The Athletic's Jim Bowden linked the Padres to Bieber immediately after the season ended and CBS Sports baseball insider Matt Snyder continued to link the two parties on Friday.

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"He's now a free agent, though his April 2024 Tommy John surgery raises some red flags, or at least question marks. Given that he'll likely start the season on the injured list, a short-term deal to rebuild his value would make a lot of sense. Maybe the Padres can land him."

Bieber's recovery from surgery is expected to extend into next summer, meaning he'll miss a portion of the upcoming season. However, whichever team picks him up could gain a fully recovered top-tier pitcher by the season's second half.

If the Padres don't secure Bieber this offseason, Jim Bowden has suggested potential fits with the Dodgers or Rangers. There's also the possibility that Bieber stays with the Guardians. Both the Dodgers and Padres present an appealing option for Bieber due to their proximity to his roots in Southern California, where he played college ball at UC Santa Barbara.

According to Baseball Prospectus, the Padres are currently projected to exceed the $241 million luxury tax threshold. While they don’t operate with the same financial resources as their division rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego has shown a willingness to spend aggressively in pursuit of a championship.

With Joe Musgrove sidelined for the entire 2025 season following Tommy John surgery, the Padres face a clear need to address a significant gap in their starting rotation.

Before undergoing surgery, Shane Bieber was a standout for the Guardians over six-plus seasons. Since his MLB debut in 2018, he compiled an impressive 62-32 record with a 3.22 ERA across 136 starts.

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