CLEVELAND – Shane Bieber’s comeback to Cleveland has a double meaning. And a deeper meaning.
The former Cy Young winner re-signed with the Guardians, a reunion that seemed unlikely when he became a free agent after last season. However, Bieber, 29, decided to stay with the AL Central champions after making just two starts in 2024 before undergoing Tommy John surgery.
There were other offers. None of them matched what he already had in Cleveland.
“It’s the relationships,” Bieber said during a Zoom call. “The development staff. The technical staff. My teammates. Having continuity and familiarity in the areas I feel like can be helpful not only for me, but for my family and everyone involved.
“That was important for me to have confidence in my rehabilitation where I am now. No one knows me as well as Cleveland and vice versa, so I’m happy to continue with them.”
Bieber agreed to a one-year contract worth $14 million. The deal includes a $16 million player option for 2026.
Not long ago, it seemed like Bieber, who is 62-32 with a 3.22 ERA in 132 starts over seven seasons for Cleveland, was determined to continue his career elsewhere. He had turned down previous long-term offers from the Guardians in the past and was expected to sign with another contender, likely on the West Coast.
But the California native has a special bond with the Guardians, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 draft. And while it was a setback, the injury and surgery helped Bieber realize he was already in the perfect place.
“I’ve had a lot of great meetings and useful and progressive meetings with other ball clubs,” he said. “Everyone handled everything first-class, and I have great things to say about many other organizations.
“Ultimately, Cleveland called and I was happy to receive it and come to an agreement, so I’m happy with where I am now. My family is ecstatic. It was clearly the right decision, not only for myself and my family, and we are happy to continue with it.”
Bieber, who won the AL Cy Young in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, threw just 12 innings last season before persistent problems with his elbow forced him to undergo surgery. He is expected to be part of Cleveland’s rotation sometime in 2025.
He throws 30 yards three days a week and is encouraged by his progress. It is currently unknown when he will take the mound in a game.
“I push, push, push.” he said. “I feel great. I didn’t miss a second. When I ask for a (back) date they don’t even give me a date. So there is still a long way to go.”
A two-time All-Star, Bieber took the national stage in 2019 when he was named MVP of the midsummer event in Cleveland. He has the highest strikeout rate per nine innings (10.2) and the third-highest winning percentage (.660) in the franchise’s 124-year history.
Bieber is one of only three Cleveland pitchers to start five season openers, joining Stan Coveleski (1917-21) and Corey Kluber (2015-19).
Although Bieber has had some elbow issues in the past, he didn’t seem to be bothered by them before the shutdown. He struck out eleven in six scoreless innings against Oakland on March 28, and followed that with six more shutout innings in Seattle on April 2.
Days later, and with his season officially over, Bieber became emotional during a press conference at Progressive Field. He knew that his life would be different in the short term and that baseball, as he had always known it, would be on the back burner.
Bieber said it took him a while to “digest” his new reality.
He dealt with this by delving into his recovery, and Bieber enjoyed watching his teammates storm through an unexpected season to a division title.
While it may not have been the same because he wasn’t making the contributions on the field that he always had, the hardships may have given Bieber something he needed.
“It offers a lot of perspective,” he says. “It was a difficult season for me and my family this year, but it was a great season. We are expecting a baby and it has been a season of growth and I am very excited to continue that into 2025.”
