Shane Bieber’s first venture into free agency has led him back to the Cleveland Guardians, the team he has spent his entire MLB career with.
The 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner agreed to a one-year, $14 million contract with the Guardians on Friday, following a challenging 2024 season in which he made just two starts before undergoing Tommy John surgery. The deal, which also includes a $16 million player option for 2026, was confirmed by a source familiar with the negotiations who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, as the official announcement had yet to be made.
Bieber’s contract will pay him $10 million for the upcoming season, with a $4 million buyout option.
The 29-year-old pitcher struggled with elbow issues that began in 2023, limiting him to just 21 starts that season. His discomfort continued into 2024, where he felt pain in his elbow during his first two starts, despite performing well. He didn’t allow any runs in either outing—against the Oakland Athletics on Opening Day and the Seattle Mariners in his second start—but his elbow pain became unbearable, leading him to opt for Tommy John surgery.
Shane Bieber (MLB)
Assuming his recovery goes as planned, Bieber is expected to return to Cleveland’s rotation within the first three months of the upcoming season.
Although the Guardians feared Bieber’s injury would derail their season last year, the team excelled under new manager Stephen Vogt, clinching the AL Central title. Cleveland advanced to the AL Division Series, eliminating Detroit, but was ultimately defeated by the New York Yankees in five games in the AL Championship Series.
Bieber, a two-time All-Star, has spent his entire seven-year career with the Guardians, although trade rumors circulated before his elbow injury limited him to just 21 starts in 2023. In the 2020 season, he was dominant, posting an 8-1 record with a 1.63 ERA across 12 starts, leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts, while finishing fourth in AL MVP voting.
Selected by Cleveland in the fourth round of the 2016 MLB Draft out of UC Santa Barbara, Bieber made his major league debut on his 23rd birthday in 2018. Over the course of his career, he has compiled a 62-32 record with a 3.22 ERA in 136 appearances, including 134 starts, and has logged 843 innings. Bieber has pitched over 200 innings twice, with his career-high of 214 1/3 innings coming in 2019.
