Teams, Including Reds and Cubs, Exploring Trade Options for Former Cy Young Award Winner

 

Former American League Cy Young winner Shane Bieber is approaching the final year of his contract, and the Guardians are exploring potential trade scenarios involving the 28-year-old right-handed pitcher with the Cubs and Reds, according to MLB.com's Jon Morosi. The Cubs have also shown interest in Rays ace Tyler Glasnow.

Bieber's 2023 season was considered one of his less impressive performances, primarily due to forearm and elbow issues that limited him to 128 innings. Despite the challenges, he maintained a solid 3.80 ERA when healthy and averaged over six innings per start.

However, Bieber's fastball velocity has gradually declined since his 2020 Cy Young win, dropping to an average of 91.6 mph last year—almost three miles per hour slower than in 2020. His strikeout rate also decreased significantly, from 41.1% in 2020 to 20.1% in 2023.

While Bieber's walk and ground-ball rates remain strong, his swinging-strike and opponents' chase rates fell below the league average in 2023. He posted career-worst marks in average exit velocity (91.6 mph) and hard-hit rate (47.2%), ranking in the second and third percentiles among MLB pitchers, respectively.

Despite these concerns, Bieber's track record as a former Cy Young winner may generate interest from other clubs. The Reds and Cubs, in particular, have reasons to pursue Bieber. The Reds have a promising group of young position players and rotation candidates, while the Cubs lack certainty beyond their established top three pitchers.

A trade involving Bieber aligns with the Guardians' historical approach of trading high-end starting pitchers for controllable young talent. Cleveland has consistently developed top-tier pitching talent but rarely lets their aces reach free agency. Even if Bieber is traded, the Guardians have promising prospects like Tanner Bibee, Logan Allen, and Gavin Williams, along with established names like Triston McKenzie, to maintain a competitive rotation.