Shane Bieber has proven to at least one AL East team that he was worth the risk. Could the Boston Red Sox be the next one to roll the dice?
When the Toronto Blue Jays made the July 31 move to get Bieber from the Cleveland Guardians for their No. 5 prospect, right-handed pitcher Khal Stephen, they did so knowing full well the amount of skepticism that would follow Bieber north of the border.
At the time of the trade, Bieber had not pitched in a Major League game since April 2, 2024, and he had thrown a total of 11.1 minor league innings in his rehab following Tommy John surgery. Granted, he gave up just seven hits while striking out 21 in those innings, but Toronto general manager Ross Atkins knew he was taking a pretty big swing with the acquisition of the 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner.
“The risk is almost, in some ways, the exciting aspect of it, because of the upside,” Atkins said at the time of the trade. “The upside is just so big.”
And that upside was on full display when it mattered most.
Shane Bieber Proved Worth the Risk for Toronto With His Game 4 Effort
In Game 4 of the World Series Tuesday night in Los Angeles, about 17 hours after his team suffered what could have been a demoralizing defeat, falling 6-5 in Monday night/Tuesday morning’s 18-inning marathon, Bieber gave up four hits, three walks and just one run in 5.1 innings, lifting Toronto to a 6-2 win that evened the series at two games apiece. In the process, Bieber made Major League history, becoming the first pitcher to miss four or more months on the injured list, then return and notch a World Series win in the same season.
“I think coming off of what could be a back-breaking loss last night, it was an absolute pleasure to show up today and see guys are, nobody changes, nobody ever wavers, nobody ever hesitates,” Bieber said. “It’s the same group of guys each and every day that continue to put the work in, continue to compete, continue to rely on each other.”
That the Blue Jays were able to rely on Bieber at all this season speaks to his poise and preparation. That Bieber was able to raise his game when the stakes were so high, avoiding a potential 3-1 deficit that could have buried his team, speaks to the killer instinct that contending clubs crave.
But in doing so, Bieber flipped the switch on the other part of this story that carried risk for Toronto. Because Bieber’s contract includes a $16 million player option for 2026, which he now is almost certain to decline in search of a long-term deal.
Boston Likely to Contact Shane Bieber if He Opts for Free Agency
Boston, who reportedly made a “serious push” to sign Bieber last winter, will likely be in touch once the free agency period begins.
“Bieber has made himself some money this postseason,” Rob Bradford, broadcast for WEEI sports radio in Boston and co-host of the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast, stated in a post to X (formerly Twitter). “Expect the Red Sox to be in the mix for the starter this offseason (again).”
The Red Sox have made no secret of their offseason priority: finding a dependable No. 2 to pair with Garrett Crochet at the top of the rotation. They’ve built a foundation around young, controllable arms, but what they lack is the kind of proven presence that settles a clubhouse and stops losing streaks before they start.
Bieber fits that bill as neatly as anyone on the market. He’s battle-tested, a former Cy Young winner who has shown both the temperament and the resilience to thrive when the games matter most.
His October performance for Toronto wasn’t just a comeback story — it was an audition, one that teams like Boston couldn’t help but notice.
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