MLB Rumors: Guardians playoff hunt won’t eliminate blockbuster trade

The Cleveland Guardians are in the heat of the AL Central race, but that doesn’t mean they definitely won’t trade ace Shane Bieber. 

No way the Cleveland Guardians are going to trade Shane Bieber, the ace of their pitching staff, while the club is just two games out from the AL Central lead, right? That would be absurd — except that it wouldn’t be.

With trade buzz starting to build even more around MLB, it appears that starting pitchers are going to be the most coveted currency around the league. Meanwhile, Bieber has just one year left on his contract after the 2023 season before becoming a free agent. That has typically been when the Guardians have opted to sell high on assets in order to maintain a relatively light payroll.

The possibility of winning the division, however, is a wrinkle that could change the plans for many teams. The Guardians might not be one of them, though. MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic noted Bieber as one of seven big-name pitchers who could be traded ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline. And what he said indicates that Cleveland could still be open to the right trade.

"As a low-revenue team, the Guardians are forever gauging their players’ trade values. Considering the uncertainty surrounding Tristan McKenzie, Bieber might be too valuable to move in the middle of a pennant race. But he is under control through 2024, and the Guardians generally prefer to act sooner rather than later."

MLB Rumors: Shane Bieber trade still possible, even with Guardians in AL Central race

Trading Bieber would be extremely hard to sell to the Guardians fan base in the midst of a playoff race, but it’s how Cleveland has simply run the business in baseball. Whether it’s been C.C. Sabathia, Francisco Lindor, Cliff Lee, or a litany of others, this is what the organization does whenever players are about to get expensive.

Furthermore, there is some credence to the notion that Bieber, the 2020 Cy Young winner and team leader in wins, ERA, and strikeouts this season, could recoup more value in a trade with 1.5 years left on his contract than as a rental for one year or at next year’s deadline. That would better set up Cleveland moving forward, without question.

What complicates the equation is the fact that the club, though in the hunt in the division, entered July 6 at just 42-44 on the season. They are well out of the wild card race and, with that type of performance, their time in the postseason should they make it would likely be brief.

So what’s the better option? Waving the white flag by trading Bieber or holding onto him and making the future look a bit worse with the assets that would be coming back to Cleveland? That’s surely what the front office is weighing now but, according to this intel, a blockbuster trade is anything but off the table still.