What are 3 potential trade destinations for Shane Bieber?
Cleveland Guardians ace Shane Bieber is a huge name to watch during the 2023 MLB Trade Deadline. Bieber, 28, has been one of the best pitchers in all of baseball for the past few years. The pinnacle of his dominance was when the Cleveland pitcher won the AL CY Young in the shortened 2020 season. He also finished seventh in CY Young voting last season with a 2.88 ERA in 200 innings. This season, Bieber has pitched to a 3.77 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP.
Bieber will be eligible for arbitration for one more season, but he will definitely looking for his first big-time contract soon. He deserves it for the stretch that he’s been on for the last several seasons. Cleveland is not the team that gives out big contracts though, and you’d think they would move him if they don’t intend on giving him a big deal.
Cleveland is right in the mix in the weak AL Central. However, this is how the Guardians function. They don’t want to pay big-time players, so they usually trade them off as late as they can and lick their wounds. I’d assume Bieber would get just as much as many other pitchers on the market. Where could he end up?
Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles are back in contention for the first time in a long time, and they’re certainly looking to make a splash.
The reality of the situation for Baltimore is that they could very well be a playoff team, and it certainly won’t be because of their starting pitching. Their starting staff ranks 18th in the league in ERA and had given up the seventh most home runs amongst all starting staff. Let’s be realistic Orioles, you cannot enter the playoffs with Kyle Gibson and Kyle Bradish as your top two guys. No hate on those two, but they’re not superstars, and they’re not enough to get you past the ferocious lineups that the American League has to offer.
The Orioles have a deep farm system, arguably the best in the sport. Bieber will likely be pricey. The Orioles are known for being cheap when it comes to free agents and star acquisitions (unless your name is Chris Davis). Overall, for the O’s to get this done, they’ll need to give up one of their higher-ranked prospects and potentially more to acquire Bieber. Are they willing to do that to win now?
Houston Astros
MLB.com’s Jon Heyman recently reported that Dylan Cease is a big target of the Houston Astros, who are looking to defend their 2022 World Series title by adding another pitcher to their rotation. However, Cease is going to have a huge price tag. So what might be the next best option? Calling Cleveland to check in on Shane Bieber, because we know Houston is looking for one more starter.
Houston’s staff has been very solid even without departed former Cy Young winner Justin Verlander. In fact, Astros starters have pitched to a 3.79 ERA, which is good for fourth best in all of MLB. The one-two punch of Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier is amongst the best in the sport. Rookie starter Hunter Brown has been solid. Throw Bieber into the mix and Houston looks that much scarier.
Houston has the farm system to get a deal done if they wanted, but it may have to include one of their top four prospects. I have a feeling a deal like this would look very similar to the move they made for Verlander a few seasons ago.
Los Angeles Dodgers
It comes as no shock to anyone that the Dodgers are playing elite baseball yet again. This time around, LAD’s roster is a little less complete than in years past.
For the Dodgers, the rotation has taken a couple of major hits this season. Clayton Kershaw is currently on the shelf with shoulder discomfort. Noah Syndergaard is a shell of himself. We haven’t heard from Walker Buehler for a while, and it doesn’t seem that will change for the rest of this season. Dustin May is done for the year. If the Dodgers want to get past the Braves of the world, they need to add some pitching.
The Dodgers have made major trades in the past, and I would expect them to target someone like Bieber for rotation help. They have the farm to trade away. He would join elite company in that rotation. It is certain that the Dodgers know how to get the best out of players, so it would likely be a favorable destination for Bieber. Not to mention, Bieber is also from Southern California, and attended UCSB.
Overall, I think the Guardians do move Shane Bieber. The price tag should be decently hefty for a starting pitcher of his caliber. One team should be getting an elite starter at the top of their rotation in Bieber.
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