Shane Bieber Needs Season-Ending Tommy John Surgery
Right-hander Shane Bieber (elbow) and the Cleveland Guardians were dealt a brutal blow on Saturday after announcing that Bieber will need Tommy John surgery on his injured elbow (UCL). Bieber had been off to a very strong start to the 2024 season, dominating in his first two appearances and looking like one of the best pitchers in all of baseball. Now surgery is being recommended to deal with his recurring issues. Bieber was placed on the injured list last season with forearm irritation on the same arm and was experiencing a recurrence of pain this season as well after each of his first two starts. Bieber will miss the rest of the 2024 season, and fantasy baseball managers will need to hit the waiver wire this weekend to find a replacement pitcher.
Shane Bieber Turns In Another Stellar Start Tuesday
Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber continued his hot start in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Mariners. The 28-year-old improved to 2-0, tossing six scoreless innings with six hits, no walks, and nine strikeouts. Bieber has rebounded nicely in 2024 after a lackluster 2023 and has yet to allow a run with an impressive 20 strikeouts through his first two starts. He should have plenty of opportunity to put up another big strikeout total in his next projected start against the White Sox.
Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber was dominant in his Opening Day victory against the Oakland Athletics on Thursday. Yes, it was the Oakland A's lineup, but Bieber was straight up filthy over six innings. In his quality start, he allowed four hits, zero runs, one walk and struck out 11 on the evening. Bieber was great this spring in the Cactus League and that carried over last night. Bieber is still just 28, but has a lot of mileage on his arm. Managers shouldn't expect this type of dominance every start, but he is off to a good start and will look to keep it going versus a much tougher Seattle Mariners lineup on the road.
Right-hander Shane Bieber has officially been named the Cleveland Guardians' Opening Day starter on March 28 against the Oakland Athletics on the road. It will be Bieber's fifth straight Opening Day start for Cleveland. The 28-year-old former fourth-round pick in 2016 out of Santa Barbara is a two-time All-Star and former American League Cy Young winner in 2020, so it shouldn't be surprising that he's getting another Opening Day nod. It's a fantastic matchup, too, so he should be in all fantasy starting lineups in single-year leagues. Bieber dealt with elbow issues last year and made only 21 starts, finishing with the second-highest ERA of his career at 3.80 (3.87 FIP). There were a lot of worrying trends from Bieber last year, and although he should no longer be considered a fantasy ace, with better health he should be able to be a solid No. 3 fantasy starter in a weak division.
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Shane Bieber is scheduled to make his spring training debut on Saturday in a Cactus League matchup with the Kansas City Royals. The right-hander was the subject of some trade speculation last season and into the offseason but has ultimately remained with the Guardians. It was a down season by his standards in the 2023 campaign as the 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner posted a 3.80 ERA, well above his 3.27 career mark, in an injury-shortened 21 starts. However, a major dip in strikeout rate to just 20.1%, well below his 27.8% career mark and half of the 41.1% clip he posted in 2020, was most crushing to fantasy managers. Given his excellent control and run-prevention ability, Bieber is still a solid fantasy asset.
Although one general manager said the Cleveland Guardians are still talking about star right-hander Shane Bieber, the latest word is that a trade involving Bieber is very unlikely. The Guardians have a shot to win the weak American League Central division in 2024. The 28-year-old had a down season in 2023, mainly due to an elbow injury, going 6-6 with a 3.80 ERA (3.87 FIP) and 1.23 WHIP while walking 34 and striking out 107 in 128 innings over just 21 starts. It's the second time in three years he's missed significant time due to injury, and although Bieber was the Cy Young winner in 2020 and one of the best pitchers in the game in 2022, it's concerning that his strikeout rate (20.1%), hard-hit rate (47.6%) and average exit velocity (91.6 mph) were all career-worsts. Bieber could still bounce back in 2024 with better health, but he could also be in the beginning of his decline.
The Cleveland Guardians and right-hander Shane Bieber have avoided arbitration with a one-year, $13.125 million deal for the 2024 season. The right-hander dealt with injuries that limited him to 21 starts in the 2023 season but he still managed a solid 3.80 ERA in that time. That figure is below the 2020 Cy Young winner's lofty standard as he sports a career 3.27 ERA and his 2023 figure marks his worst number since posting a 4.55 ERA as a rookie in 2018. However, the 28-year-old's most noticeable drop came in his strikeout rate which dipped to just 20.1% versus his 27.8% career mark and a massive 41.1% clip in his COVID-shortened 2020 Cy Young season. Fantasy managers will certainly hope he can regain his strikeout stuff and return to full form (and health) in the 2024 campaign.
Cleveland Guardians right-hander Shane Bieber is less likely to be traded now than he was at the start of the offseason. Bieber will become a free agent at the end of the 2024 season and plays for a team that plans on contending for division titles in upcoming seasons. The more likely scenario is that the Guardians hang onto Bieber until the trade deadline in August if Cleveland falls out of the playoff race early. The 28-year-old two-time All-Star and former American League Cy Young winner in 2020 missed some time with an elbow injury in 2023 and wasn't particularly effective down the stretch, ultimately finishing with his highest ERA (3.80) since his rookie season in 2018. Bieber is a solid bet to bounce back as a solid fantasy starter in 2024, but career-worsts in strikeout rate (20.1%), hard-hit rate (47.6%) and average exit velocity allowed (91.6 mph) are causes for concern.
The Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds are among the teams active in trade conversations for Cleveland Guardians right-hander Shane Bieber, according to sources. There are limited options available for starting arms on the open market this winter, so the Cubs and Reds are looking for trade options. Bieber, 28, is still on the right side of 30, although he's coming off a year in which he was limited to 21 starts due to injury. Still, he was solid with a 6-6 record, 3.80 ERA (3.87 FIP) and 1.23 WHIP with 34 walks and 107 strikeouts in 128 innings pitched. Bieber would require a nice prospect haul, though, and it's unclear how willing the Cubs are to part with some of their big prospect names. The Reds, meanwhile, have a logjam of young talent at the major-league level.
MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported Tuesday that "several teams have been showing interest" in trading for Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber. Morosi thinks trade interest in the 28-year-old could pick up after the Winter Meetings. Bieber has one year of team control remaining, and while he did miss time in 2023 with right elbow inflammation, he was able to return in September and make two starts. Overall, Bieber went 6-6 in 21 starts with a 3.80 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 20.1% strikeout rate. While these were fine numbers overall, they were Bieber's worst since his rookie season in 2018 and were a departure from his career 3.27 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 27.8% strikeout rate. His injury outlook combined with whether he is traded could impact his fantasy outlook heading into 2024.
