Red Sox Linked To Ex-Cy Young Winner On Possible 'Short-Term Deal'

Would this signing make sense for Boston?

Mar 2, 2024; Goodyear, Arizona, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber (57) pitches against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Goodyear Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

This winter, the mission for the Boston Red Sox is clear: Sign pitching and get back to the Major League Baseball playoffs.

The Red Sox pitching abandoned them when they needed it the most in 2024, having its worst month by far in August and allowing the team to slip completely out of playoff position. Call it fatigue, luck wearing off, or whatever you like, but no matter the cause, it's clear what Boston had on its roster simply wasn't enough.

Adding an ace starting pitcher would be crucial to the Red Sox's playoff chances in 2025. Can they afford to land one with a Cy Young Award in his pocket, even if that pitcher won't be ready to pitch for them right away.

Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Guardians is getting set to hit free agency after Tommy John surgery limited him to just two starts in 2024. Tim Crowley of NESN recently linked Bieber to the Red Sox in a free-agency pitching preview.

"Bieber has a Cy Young award pedigree (he won for the American League in 2020) though he’s not that caliber at this point in his career. He’s made just 23 starts over the last two seasons and had Tommy John surgery in April," Crowley said.

"He did pitch well in his last full season in 2022, tossing 200 innings to the tune of a 2.88 ERA for the Cleveland Guardians. He’s not the true No. 1 the Red Sox need at this point, but similar to the Lucas Giolito signing, his upside under pitching coach Andrew Bailey could be intriguing enough for Boston to pursue a short-term deal."

Bieber, who will be 31 next season, likely will not be ready for Opening Day. The team that signs him will be thrilled to have his arm back in the rotation by October, assuming they get there.

Crowley's intuition that Bieber will accept a short-term deal, perhaps even an incentive-laded one-year deal, seems to be accurate. The question is whether the Red Sox would rather miss out on the chance to lock someone down for the next half-decade, even if they can be helpful in the short term.

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