Oct 28, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Shane Bieber (57) reacts in the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game four of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Is Shane Bieber a legitimate Guardians offseason target?

Originally posted on Cleveland Guardians on SI
By Steve Kubitza | Last updated Nov 4, 2025 9:00 AM ET

Shane Bieber had the worst possible end to an MLB season when he took the loss in Saturday's Game 7 against the Los Angeles Dodgers to end the World Series. But one bad pitch is not going to impact his overall value.

Cleveland Guardians fans were either rooting for Bieber to succeed, watching him pitch well for Toronto in frustration, or perhaps a bit of both. Waiting all year for his return only to trade him at the deadline was a bit of a shock. This became an even bigger story given the Guardians made a postseason run. Yet at the time of the trade, they were not in a buying mode.

The hope is that the team does indeed spend some money this offseason. So given the history, is Bieber a potential target?

Shane Bieber comes on in the 11th inning after throwing 81 pitches in Game 4 four days ago pic.twitter.com/mGmn4e5THC
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) November 2, 2025

The first thing that needs to happen is for the ace to decline his $16 million player option. While that is a good chunk of money, he will likely want a long-term deal given his age, arm injury history, and a looming lockout in 2027. But what is his value?

This postseason with the Blue Jays seemingly made Bieber a fortune in future earnings. Spotrac lists his market value at $24.3 million annually, projecting a deal of four years and roughly $96 million.

The Guardians are not a team known for handing out large contracts, especially to players in their 30s. But the situation is different with Bieber given his career with the franchise.

Let's stick with the $24 million annual value. Tanner Bibee is currently the highest-paid pitcher on the roster at $4.4 million in 2026. That is, given Emmanuel Clase's $6.4 million is wiped off the books. There is also the question of veteran pitcher John Means and his $6 million club option.

But if we stick with the projected staff, a $24 million salary would balloon the overall payroll. That would be more than Jose Ramirez is making in 2026 ($21 million) and far more than any other Guardians pitcher.

From a simply baseball standpoint, it would make sense to bring Bieber back. He can lead a young rotation that ran out of gas in the 2025 postseason and rejoin a group he has likely already mentored for years.

However, it all comes down to ownership, and fans have no clue on a year-by-year basis if the team will spend or decide to cut salary. Fans still reference the Edwin Encarnacion deal, and that was almost a decade ago. It even took long to get Ramirez locked in, and he was vocal about wanting to stay in Cleveland.

Overall, Bieber is a logical offseason target. As for a legitimate one? That will come down to the whims of ownership.

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

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