The Blue Jays had a star-studded starting rotation before this week’s trade deadline. Max Scherzer is a future Hall of Famer. Kevin Gausman, José BerrÃos and Chris Bassitt have combined to make five all-star teams. Eric Lauer leads the staff with a 2.68 ERA.
The resumés mostly speak for themselves. It’s a deep and talented group, but it’s also one that is starting to get up there in age. Everyone on the list, with the exception of Lauer, has been a No. 1 starter before, they’re just not considered one now.
That could have been a problem come playoff time. The Jays would have been hard-pressed to match up against Detroit’s Tarik Skubal, Texas’s Jacob deGrom, Seattle’s Bryan Woo, maybe even New York’s Max Fried. In a short series, where it’s more about top-end talent than depth, it might have led to another early exit.
The Jays hope to have solved that problem by acquiring right-hander Shane Bieber from the Cleveland Guardians. When healthy, the two-time all-star and 2020 Cy Young Award winner ranks among the game’s best. If he returns from Tommy John surgery and regains his old form over the next two months, the pick to start Game 1 will be obvious.
“My stuff has been in a really good spot,” Bieber said Friday during his first media availability since being acquired by the Jays. “I’ve been really happy with how the ball is coming out of my hand. I just need to continue to build volume and get ready, when I get the ball on the mound, to have no restrictions and go out there and compete.”
Bieber, rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, has the talent to become the ace É«É«À² needs. He
Bieber hasn’t pitched in a big-league game since he suffered an elbow injury on April 2, 2024. The California native has been trying to work his way back from Tommy John surgery ever since. He made three minor-league rehab starts in July and is expected to make another for Triple-A Buffalo on Sunday.
If everything goes well, the Jays should have Bieber available at some point in mid-August. Then he would have approximately six weeks to get back to being the guy who has a sparkling 3.22 ERA across seven seasons. If he succeeds, the Jays will have a starter with enough upside to outduel anyone.
Of course, there are no guarantees. Bieber already had one setback in June and it’s possible he could have another. Rehabs from Tommy John are never linear, pitchers have good days and bad. The hope is most of that is behind him and that he’ll get up to speed quickly in É«É«À².
“It’s obviously really exciting,” Jays manager John Schneider said. “We’re talking about a guy with a legit track record, a Cy Young. It’s a high-risk, high-reward type thing, right? We’ve monitored his rehab outings. I think when you get a chance to add a guy like that, you do it.”
There are still some hurdles that must be cleared. Bieber is expected to toss five innings and about 70 pitches during his next rehab start. He’ll likely remain in the minors for another outing to reach the six-inning plateau. Once he checks that box, the next outing could come in the majors.
Star sports columnist Gregor Chisholm joins the “Deep Left Field” podcast to review the Jays’
It’s an exciting turn of events for the Jays because Bieber had, by far, the most upside of any starter traded at the deadline. There was a plethora of relievers available but only a handful of starters and most of them were worse than the guys É«É«À² already had. Bieber, who has a $16-million (U.S.) player option for next season that will likely get declined, was the outlier.
“I’m most pleased with not thinking about my health,” Bieber said of his recovery. “I think that says a lot about how far I’ve come postsurgery, where my body’s at, where my arm is at. I’m focused on ramping up to compete in the big leagues. That’s a fun place to be. That’s what I’ve missed, that’s what I’ve strived for. I’m close now.”
Bieber has been around the game long enough to know that while he was ramping up in Cleveland’s minor-league system he was probably getting ready to pitch for another team. The Guardians, who entered Friday with a 54-54 record had long expected to be sellers at the deadline and Bieber was an obvious guy to be moved because he lacked a long-term contract.
Joining a team in the middle of a pennant race like the Jays could be just what he needs to land a big deal this winter. If Bieber assumes the No. 1 starter’s role and wins a few post-season games, teams will be lining up to try to pay him as a free agent.
The Jays will want to have him back, too, but they’ll welcome the competition because if there’s success in the playoffs, it will be a win-win for both sides.
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation