Best Case Scenario: Shane Bieber Picks Up 2026 Player Option

Instead, familiarity and immaculate clubhouse vibes shone through. Bieber, 30, will remain on the Blue Jays for an additional year and give them another solid option in their starting rotation alongside a returning cast featuring Trey Yesavage, Kevin Gausman, and most likely Eric Lauer and Jose Berrios.

Reliever Louis Varland is a candidate to return to a starting role, and the Blue Jays also have oft-injured prospect Ricky Tiedemann nearing his long awaited MLB debut, so those are other names to monitor.

Shane Bieber Returning to Toronto Is The Best Case Scenario

Bieber’s option came with a $4 million buyout, so he will basically be making an extra $12 million to remain north of the border for (at least) one more season. It’s entirely possible the two sides come together on a multi-year extension at some point in the near future, but for now, the pact is for a single additional season.

When the eight-year veteran came to the Blue Jays at the 2025 deadline, it was known all along that he’d only be available for half of a season, but he wound up being so much more than just a regular-season contributor.

In the regular season, Bieber made seven starts, totaling 40.1 innings of work. In that time, he struck out 37 and walked just seven, going 4-2 in the process with a 3.57 ERA and 4.47 FIP. Still, his 120 ERA+ put his overall production at 20% above league-average in this short stint.

It might not have been perfectly smooth sailing for Bieber throughout his seven-game stint, but he went at least five innings in every single regular-season start he made for the Blue Jays and became a well-liked figure amongst the fans and his teammates.

Playoff Bieber Was a Sight to Behold

The Blue Jays played in some long series this postseason, so Bieber got plenty of opportunities to take the ball. The right-hander wound up making four starts and a relief appearance, earning at least one look in the ALDS, ALCS, and World Series.

In Game 3 of the ALCS against the Seattle Mariners, Bieber went six innings of two-run ball, striking out eight batters and walking just one. The Blue Jays won that game 13-4 and happily rode a strong outing from Bieber to victory lane.

Bieber went 3.2 innings in Game 7 of the ALCS (2 ER, 5 K, 1 BB) before going 5.1 innings of one-run ball against the Dodgers in Game 4 of the World Series. The Blue Jays won that game in 6-2 fashion. In fact, three of his four starts resulted in a Blue Jays win.

It’s true that Bieber was the one that was on the mound when Will Smith hit a World Series-winning home run in Game 7, but that’s hardly any fault of his own. The Blue Jays’ bullpen was overused and tired, and Bieber wasn’t any exception to that. While it’s a tough pill to swallow being the pitcher to surrender the series-losing run, it wasn’t his fault that Yesavage, Chris Bassitt, and Jeff Hoffman each allowed their own earned runs in previous innings.

Where Do the Blue Jays Go From Here?

Bieber is a proven winner who has a lengthy track record of success. The fact that he was willing to pass up a pretty penny in free agency in favor of running it back one more time with the Blue Jays says a lot about the culture they put together in that clubhouse.

The club recently had many pieces from the 2025 roster hit the open market, but none were as impactful as shortstop Bo Bichette, who’s also a major candidate for a reunion.

Outside of Bichette, pitchers Bassitt, Seranthony Dominguez, and Max Scherzer are all gone. On the position player side, each of Ty France and Isiah Kiner-Falefa are also up for grabs.

The offseason is still so young, but it’s a major “W” for the Blue Jays to have Bieber locked in for another go-round on this club. Before running into injury issues in 2023 and 2024, he had established himself as a consistent and reliable starter.

Don’t forget he’s also got two All-Star Game selections and a Cy Young to his name as well. This guy is a proven winner and his presence in Toronto’s rotation is going to help them out in many ways.

A new contract to Bichette and another high-end starting pitcher should be high on the Blue Jays’ offseason wishlist, but the organization is off to an outstanding start by having Bieber return to the fold.