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Grading The Cleveland Guardians, Shane Bieber Trade
Jul 12, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber (57) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Grading The Cleveland Guardians, Shane Bieber Trade

Originally posted on Cleveland Guardians on SI
By Tommy Wild  |  Last updated Jul 31, 2025 3:36 PM ET

After years of speculation and rumors, Shane Bieber’s time with the Cleveland Guardians has come to an end.

The Guardians traded the former Cy Young winner to the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday, kicking off what has been a relatively active day of the trade deadline.

Let’s take a look at the return Cleveland got for Bieber and grade this blockbuster trade for the Guardians.

Guardians’ Shane Bieber Trade Grade: B+

It would have been nice to see Bieber pitch one more game in a Guardians uniform, considering everything he’s given this organization over the last seven years. 

However, with the situation Cleveland currently finds itself in, trading Bieber was a wise move. The only question was, “What would the Guardians get for the 30-year-old still recovering from Tommy John surgery?”

It turns out, Cleveland was able to grab one of the top prospects in Toronto’s farm system, and the type of player the Guardians have a strong history of developing into a star.

The Blue Jays gave up RHP Khal Stephen, who was Toronto’s No. 5 prospect, and immediately became the top-ranked pitching prospect in Cleveland’s farm system.

Stephen, 22, was a second-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft and has done nothing but impress during his short minor-league career so far. 

He was recently promoted to Double-A and has made a total of 18 appearances so far this season. In those games, Stephen has a 2.06 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. 

Check out everything you need to know about Khal Stephen here.

Bieber likely wasn’t in Cleveland’s long-term plans, and he has a player option, making him a possible free agent this offseason. There’s also still a ton of uncertainty about how Bieber will look after Tommy John surgery.

For the Guardians to grab a top pitching prospect in exchange for a player who hasn’t pitched in over a year is a solid return for Cleveland’s front office.

Read More Cleveland Guardians Coverage


This article first appeared on Cleveland Guardians on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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