The Toronto Blue Jays had already given their bullpen a big boost earlier this week, nabbing Seranthony Dominguez from the Baltimore Orioles. On Thursday morning, it was the rotation's turn, and GM Ross Atkins may have landed his team the steal of this trade deadline: Cleveland Guardians righty Shane Bieber.
According to a report from MLB Network's Jon Morosi, Toronto has sent pitching prospect Khal Stephen to Cleveland in exchange for the former AL Cy Young winner, giving the Jays exactly the sort of fifth starter they desperately needed.
Toronto-Cleveland trade will be 1 for 1, source says.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 31, 2025
Shane Bieber for Khal Stephen. @MLBNetwork
Bieber has yet to pitch in the Majors this season after undergoing Tommy John surgery last April. But he's been out on a rehab assignment since the All-Star break, and after allowing one run and striking out seven over four innings (and 59 pitches) at Double-A Akron on Tuesday, it won't be longer before he's ready to return to a big-league mound.
When he does, he'll hope to pick up right where he left off: Bieber started the 2024 season looking every bit like a frontline ace, striking out 20 batters over 12 scoreless innings. The Jays had to pony up a bit to get him, but that's the price you pay for keeping an exciting arm away from a couple of interested rivals in your own division. After a couple years in the wilderness, Toronto doesn't want to let this AL East lead go to waste.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
MLB trade grades: Blue Jays land potential steal of the trade deadline in Shane Bieber
The bullpen could still use at least one more arm, but finding a reliable fifth starter loomed as the Jays' biggest priority with less than 24 hours to go until Thursday evening's trade deadline. Bieber checks that box in a big way, giving Toronto real upside while slotting in behind Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer. That's suddenly a formidable rotation, especially if Scherzer can stay healthy and in form, and Bieber might even be a candidate to start playoff games if he's able to knock off the rust quickly.
The righty seemed like he was in decline after a relatively down 2023, but he saw his stuff tick back up across the board before getting hurt last season. Was that jump in velocity related to his elbow injury, or is it sustainable? If it is, the Jays may have two months of a frontline guy on their hands. And even if it's not, Bieber has enough pitchability to be more than serviceable at the back of a contender's rotation.
There is real risk here: Who knows how Bieber will look more than a year removed from major surgery, and if he flops, the Jays could be locked into a $16 million player option for next year. But Toronto couldn't afford to waste the golden opportunity in front of them this year, with a division lead entering August and the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles all stumbling to some degree. Bassitt, Scherzer and Bo Bichette will all be free agents this winter, and deserved an all-in push. This is a great step in that direction, even if it came at a not-insignificant cost.
Blue Jays grade: B+
This also feels like a win from Cleveland's perspective: Losing a face of the franchise like Bieber hurts, but he was likely to turn down his $16 million player option for 2026 and enter free agency anyway, making him of little use to a Guardians team that's fallen out of the AL Wild Card race of late.
In return for a pitcher they were going to likely say goodbye to anyway, they get a young, cost-controlled arm who feels like an ideal fit for the Cleveland pitching factory. Stephen just got to Double-A after blowing through the low Minors to start the year, with a 2.06 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 91.2 innings across 18 appearances (17 starts). He's got a legitimate four-pitch mix with solid command, and while there might not be a true plus offering among them right now, we've seen the Guardians produce stuff bumps in arms like this time and time again.
A little more fastball velocity, or a little sharper sweeper shape, and he could become a legitimate No. 3 starter. That's good business for a rental, no matter how beloved.