Blue Jays Face Difficult Shane Bieber Decision

Brad Mills-Imagn Images

Blue Jays Face Difficult Shane Bieber Decision

Originally posted on Lindy's Sports | By Cole Shelton | Last updated Aug 10, 2026 10:33 AM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays 2026 MLB season hasn't gone to plan, but the team will look to be competitve again in 2027.

Toronto was a seller at the deadline, as the Blue Jays traded away Kevin Gausman, Daulton Varsho, and Jeff Hoffman in some major moves. One decision they kicked the can on, however, was what to do with Shane Bieber, who was a major get for Toronto at last year's deadline and will become a free agent after this season.

Bieber is a former AL Cy Young Award winner, and he surprised many when he opted into his $16 million deal. This year, he's dealt with injuries, missing the first few months following Tommy John surgery last year.

Bieber has struggled at times this season. He is known as a location pitcher but he doesn't have a ton of velocity. So, when he doesn't have his accuracy, Bieber is easier to hit.

Still, Bieber is an effective middle-of-the-rotation arm and the Blue Jays will have to make a hard decision on him this offseason on whether to keep him.

Toronto can make Bieber a qualifying offer, a one-year contract worth the average salary of MLB's 125 highest-paid players.

If extended, Bieber could accept the qualifying offer, which was $22.05 million last season. The amount should be slightly higher this year, giving Bieber a raise. That may be too much for Toronto to be willing to pay though, given the year he's had.

If Bieber leaves in free agency, Toronto gets a draft pick in return but if he accepts the qualifying offer, he can help build out the rotation.

Right now, Toronto's 2027 rotation will feature Dylan Cease, Jose Soriano, and Trey Yesavage. Cody Ponce, Jose Berrios, and Bowden Francis will all return at some point from injuries. The Blue Jays could use another starter, and if Bieber accepts the qualifying offer, he'd add some insurance to the rotation on a one-year deal.

Ultimately, the decision on whether or not to issue Bieber a qualifying offer will hinge on how he pitches down the stretch.

Blue Jays Kept Bieber After Trade Deadline

Aug 9, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Shane Bieber (57) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Although Toronto traded away some impact players at the deadline, they did keep some pending free agents like George Springer, Max Scherzer, and Bieber.

Manager John Schneider said the team wants to still compete this season.

"We purposely kept guys here that we thought could help us win and purposely acquired guys that we thought could help us win this year and going forward,” Schneider said. “It wasn't a straight sell at the Deadline. It's not like, ‘Hey, let's look forward to 2027.’ We’ve got some games to play here.”

The Blue Jays have started to play better after the trade deadline, as Toronto is 7-4 in its last 11 games and now just 3.5 games out of a Wild Card spot.

So, although Toronto's front office may already be considering intriguing offseason moves, the players' focus is on winning.

This article first appeared on Lindy's Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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