Will Middlebrooks Out On Red Sox Pursuing Cy Young Award Winner

Sox Talk with Will Middlebrooks is a recurring content series on NESN.com. Middlebrooks, a former Red Sox player, and current NESN analyst gives his insight and opinion on pertinent Red Sox storylines throughout the season. You can read the latest stories from the series here.

Will Middlebrooks isn’t a Belieber.

At least not when it comes to the Boston Red Sox signing Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher and 2020 Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber.

The Red Sox should be in search of an ace this offseason to bolster their starting rotation and Bieber is set to hit the free agent market. But the return on the 29-year-old right-hander wouldn’t come right away since he underwent Tommy John surgery in April and is expected to be out half of the season.

And with Middlebrooks hoping the Red Sox shift into a more win-now approach, he would rather see Boston target a different high-caliber starting arm than take its chances with Bieber coming off a major injury.

“I don’t love the Bieber addition there,” Middlebrooks told NESN.com. “I don’t think he’s going to be fully ready until midway through the season. … We’re looking at middle of the season and if you’re trying to win the division, you can’t not have a No. 1. I love Bieber. I love his stuff. But in that same breath, he might miss the first two months.”

If the Red Sox continued to exercise patience next season than perhaps they could stomach waiting on Bieber to return from injury. The two-time All-Star looked like he was in line for a monster season in 2024 when he won both of his starts and didn’t allow a run in 12 innings while recording 20 strikeouts.

Bieber made just 21 starts in 2023 as he missed a chunk of time due to right elbow inflammation. His last fully healthy season came in 2022, when he posted a 13-8 record with a 2.88 ERA across 31 starts and tallied 198 strikeouts in 200 innings. He also has showcased exceptional control in his career, never walking more than 40 batters in a single season.

But the All-Star version of Bieber might not be one seen on the mound next season.

“The first year back from Tommy John, it’s not the stuff that guys are lacking — the velocity usually ticks up — it’s the command,” Middlebrooks said. “You even saw that from Shohei (Ohtani) the first year he came off Tommy John. He walked a ton of people. He could still strikeout the house, but the command is the last thing to come.”

The good news for the Red Sox is Bieber won’t be the only quality starting arm available in free agency this offseason. Atlanta Braves lefty Max Fried and Los Angeles Dodgers star Jack Flaherty also will hit the market.

And the Red Sox could deem those pitchers as better fits in an area of need over Bieber.