Now four years removed from his Cy Young Award in the shortened 2020 season, Shane Bieber will return to the Guardians after agreeing to a one-year, $10 million deal with a $16 million player option for 2026 that includes a $4 million buyout, according to a league source.
The contract comes with the clear potential for upside as Bieber looks to return from Tommy John surgery and reestablish himself as one of the game’s best pitchers. Bieber may not be ready for major-league action until early summer at best, but he remains an intriguing addition despite his injury. Before surgery, Bieber had a 3.13 ERA over 70 starts after his Cy Young Award-winning season. Although his fastball velocity declined to an average of 92 mph in 2024, he has a reputation for top-notch command and a swing-and-miss slider. Bieber also throws a tumbling knuckle curveball and began honing a trendy “splinker” to complement his arsenal before the injury.
Now 29 years old, this will be a prove-it deal for a pitcher who did show evidence of decline in 2023, when his average exit velocity allowed (91.6 mph) ranked in the bottom 2 percent of all MLB pitchers and he struck out only 7.5 batters per nine innings.
Bieber made only two starts and threw 12 scoreless innings with 20 strikeouts last season before his injury. Bieber told The Athletic in October that he’s targeting a June/July return next season. As he returns to the mound, there will be uncertainty, but an unpredictable arsenal and a track record of success could help Bieber remind everyone why he can be among the best starting pitchers in the game.
(Photo: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
