Shane Bieber surprised many when he picked up his $16 million option to remain with the Toronto Blue Jays for 2026.
Bieber could have landed a more lucrative long-term deal, and many thought he opted in because he was hurt. The former Cy Young Award winner was coming back from Tommy John surgery. Now it’s been revealed he was dealing with forearm soreness at the end of the season, according to The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon and Ken Rosenthal.
“We now have a bit more clarity on Bieber’s status and his decision to pick up his option,” the article read. “Bieber dealt with forearm fatigue at the end of the season, a person briefed on the matter said, but has since begun offseason recovery and rehab work.
“It’s not entirely clear if the forearm ailment entirely caused Bieber to pick up his player option and avoid the unknowns of free agency. But it likely factored into his decision. … The fit for Bieber with the Jays was obvious. But it didn’t seem likely that a return would come via his player option. While with the Jays, the starting pitcher expressed how much he and his family enjoyed the city, and he rejoined a team that fell just short of a World Series title.”
Bieber went 4-2 with a 3.57 ERA in seven starts with the Blue Jays down the stretch. He also went 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA in five playoff games, including four starts.
Blue Jays GM Comments on Bieber’s Injury Status
Bieber did look healthy down the stretch, but after he picked up the option, many people thought he was injured.
At the Winter Meetings, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins was asked about Bieber. He said the team will be cautious of his workload in spring training.
“So we’ll be cognizant,” Atkins said. “And make sure that we are doing everything we can to keep put him in the most safe position possible. …
“As of right now, he’s in a strong position. And I suppose as he starts to ramp up, we could consider some stagger and the potential of him, you know, not being at 100 per cent at the very start, but we’re taking it kind of a week at a time at this point with Shane.”
Atkins, meanwhile, said being ready for Opening Day is the realistic outcome as the team is being cautious with Bieber.
“I think that is a very realistic outcome. But all of the things that I said (apply) kind of taking it week-to-week.”
Toronto Focused on Pitching
With the uncertainty around Bieber, the Blue Jays made a big splash by signing Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million deal.
Cease will help solidify the Blue Jays’ rotation. He said signing with Toronto made sense as he wants to win.
“You could tell they built a really impressive culture,” Cease said at a news conference. “As they were explaining sort of what they do to get the best out of players or how they prepare. And even the little things like travel and whatnot, you can just tell that it’s a buttoned-up organization. They want to win, and it was obvious.”
Toronto also added Cody Ponce to a three-year, $30 million deal.
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