Cleveland Indians news: Shane Bieber gives honest take on extension status

Indians ace Shane Bieber is looking forward to contract extension talks with the club.

The Cleveland Indians are not exactly big spenders. They are quite the opposite and that is why Francisco Lindor was traded to the New York Mets this offseason.

There are still All-Stars that remain in town and Shane Bieber is one of them. He is the ace of the staff and just won the 2020 American League Cy Young Award. The 25-year-old has spent his entire professional career in the organization and is under team control through the 2024 season.

But his arbitration years begin in 2022 and Bieber is not going to be cheap. Both sides should start discussing a contract extension and the pitcher gave an honest take on the process while at Spring Training.

Shane Bieber is to extension talks with the Indians

There is no rush for the team to get an extension done. However, the same was said about Lindor and look what happened there.

Any new contract for Bieber would qualify as the largest deal in team history and fans will now be wondering if ownership has already made up their mind. Bieber’s team not even being approached about an extension is a bit concerning for fans.

The fact he is honest and says he is open to talks is a great starting point. Bieber cannot hit the open market for four more seasons. By then it is possible his value shoots up near the Trevor Bauer or Gerrit Cole range. Signing him to an extension soon could be the difference between a $100 million deal and something that is way out of the team’s price range.

Bieber being happy with something like a seven-year, $100 million deal would be a huge win for the Indians. But the longer they wait, the higher the cost goes.