MLB Rumors: Should Red Sox Trade For Cy Young Winner On The Mend?

Much has been written this summer about the Boston Red Sox and their potential pursuit of Miami Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara ahead of Thursday’s 6 p.m. ET trade deadline. The 29-year-old won the 2022 National League Cy Young Award but hasn’t been the same since having Tommy John surgery in 2023.

So perhaps it’s time for Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow to turn his attention to another former Cy Young winner on the mend: Shane Bieber.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Wednesday there is “plenty of traction” for a possible deal by the Cleveland Guardians and listed the Chicago Cubs as a potential option.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported Tuesday that MLB’s gambling investigation of Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase “likely increased the possibility of the team trading right-hander Shane Bieber and perhaps left fielder Steven Kwan.”

Rosenthal noted that Bieber is recovering from his April 2024 Tommy John surgery.

“(T)he Guardians re-signed the 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner in December to a deal that pays him $10 million this season and gives him a $16 million player option for 2026 – an option Bieber, 30, might very well decline if he comes back strong,” Rosenthal added.

Also on Tuesday, The Athletic’s Jim Bowden listed Bieber as his No. 10 starting pitcher available before the trade deadline.

FanSided’s Robert Murray noted on Monday that a Guardians-Red Sox trade could make sense.

“(Bieber) is one name that I’m keeping my eye with Boston, and this is me connecting dots, but in the offseason, they were very much in the Shane Bieber market,” Murray said on “The Baseball Insiders.”

“Bieber would make a tremendous amount of sense there. I’ve said that at one point I thought he was going to Boston, and I’m pretty sure he thought he was going to Boston, too,” Murray added.

Look, there’s no doubting Bieber’s ability … if he’s healthy. The 30-year-old is a two-time All-Star and won the pitching Triple Crown during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. And don’t forget about his lifetime 3.22 ERA and impressive 62-32 record over seven MLB seasons.

But it’s fair to ask what, if anything, does Bieber have left in his tank. He hasn’t played a full season since 2022, which was the last time he topped 200 innings pitched.

It’s worth noting Bieber made a rehab start Tuesday, throwing four innings for Double-A Akron. The right-hander gave up one run on three hits, while striking out seven. He threw 58 pitches, 37 for strikes.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt sounded pleased with Bieber’s work.

“Obviously the line was good. The velo looked good,” Vogt said Tuesday afternoon, per MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins. “We’ll just have to monitor how he’s feeling (Tuesday). Tomorrow will be the big story of how he’s feeling, to determine the next steps.”

Stebbins noted Bieber could make his next rehab start on Sunday. Question is, with which organization will he take the mound?