Report: Guardians, Cubs Have Been Engaged in Huge Trade Discussions

The Cleveland Guardians are aiming to make some significant moves before the MLB trade deadline, and the Chicago Cubs could ultimately represent one of their trading partners.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today has reported that the Guardians have engaged in trade talks with the Cubs concerning pitcher Shane Bieber, who has yet to pitch for Cleveland this season due to his recovery from Tommy John surgery but is slated to return very soon.

Bieber made just two starts last season before going down with an elbow injury that ultimately required surgery and has not had a fully healthy campaign since 2022, when he went 13-8 with a 2.88 ERA. When he is right, however, Bieber is one of the top pitchers in all of baseball.

The 30-year-old captured the AL Cy Young award during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and owns a lifetime 3.22 ERA since entering the big leagues in 2018. He also boasts a 10.2 K/9 rate, although his strikeouts dipped considerably in both 2022 and 2023 (8.9 K/9 and 7.5 K/9, respectively).

Last offseason, the Guardians re-signed Bieber on a two-year contract with a player option for the second year. The deal is worth $26 million, with Bieber's player option coming in at $16 million.

Chicago has one of the best farm systems in all of baseball, so it has a treasure trove of assets for Cleveland to choose from when it comes to potentially completing a trade for Bieber.

The MLB trade deadline is Thursday, so we will see if the Guardians and Cubs can get something done prior to then.

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