Shane Bieber signed with the Toronto Blue Jays this offseason on a one-year deal, but the former Cleveland fan favorite still hasn’t thrown a pitch in the majors this season. The right-hander’s rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, and while there’s hope he’ll return over the next few weeks to months, nobody’s quite sure when that’ll actually happen.
The Blue Jays certainly need him as they push toward the postseason. But Bieber’s long-term future is the bigger question mark here.
The one-year contract made sense for both sides at the time. Bieber got a chance to rebuild his value for this winter’s free agency market, while Toronto hoped they’d get the pitcher who dominated for much of his career with the Guardians. That obviously didn’t work out as planned.
Now Bieber’s got some interesting decisions ahead. Bleacher Report recently predicted he’ll land with the Los Angeles Angels for what they called “a slightly irresponsible amount of money.” Whether that’s $50 million or $100 million remains to be seen.
“Bieber’s 2025 season debut should be coming soon. If the 2020 AL Cy Young winner finishes with a flourish, he’ll decline his $16M player option for next season in order to make way more than that in free agency.”
Here’s the thing – depending on how Bieber throws toward the end of this year, he could end up being the best starter available. It doesn’t seem likely given that Framber Valdez and Ranger Suarez are also hitting free agency, but Bieber’s stuff used to be among the best in the league.
The way I see it, teams like the Angels – who’ve been desperate for pitching – might be willing to bet big on his upside. That $16 million player option suddenly looks pretty reasonable if Bieber can show he’s healthy and effective again.
All things considered, the next few months will tell us everything about Bieber’s market value. A strong finish could set him up for a payday that makes this rehab year worth the wait.
