5 free agents the Cleveland Guardians should consider for Shane Bieber's spot

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By now, everyone is very much aware that the Cleveland Guardians have a open spot in the starting rotation following the season-ending injury to Shane Bieber. Bieber will be undergoing Tommy John surgery that will keep him out of action until next season, whether that is with the Guardians or a different organization willing to take a chance on someone who has missed a lot of time dating back to the middle of last season.

Cleveland has a couple of paths that they can take in the meantime, such as evaluating some possible internal candidates, as well as some trade targets they could look to acquire. Should neither one of these work out or come to fruition, there is another route they could go down. That being, reaching out to still unsigned free agent pitchers who are looking to continue their careers.

There is a reason why most of these guys are still available after the start of the season, and it is not because they are weighing multiple offers while waiting to join a contender. Signing any of the following five players may not even work out in the end, but it would be something worth considering since the Guardians lost the Ace of their staff.

1. Johnny Cueto

38-year-old veteran pitcher Johnny Cueto was a member of the Miami Marlins last season, and things did not go particuarly well. Cueto dealt with multiple injuries, the first of which came after pitching just one inning in his Marlins debut. Another injury while on a rehab assignment pushed back his return date even further, making his return in the middle of July. Cueto would finish the year with just 13 appearances in Miami (10 starts), compiling a career-worst 6.02 ERA and 1.261 WHIP.

Understandably, this may not seem like the best idea for the Cleveland Guardians at this time. They are already dealing with the loss of their Ace, and bringing in someone off an injury-filled season of their own may not work out. However, it must be said that Cueto was quite effective in 2022 during his time with the Chicago White Sox. Cueto ended up with a 3.55 ERA and 1.225 WHIP in 158.1 innings for Chicago that season, showing that he can still be an effective pitcher in his advanced age. The only real area of concern from that campaign was his career-low 5.8 strikeouts per nine. This did increase by nearly one full strikeout last year in Miami to 6.7, a number that is a little bit easier to manage for someone his age.

2. Alec Mills

It was not too long ago that Alec Mills seemed like he could be a somewhat serviceable starter for the Chicago Cubs. Mills had a 3.87 ERA, 1.135 WHIP, and 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings in his first 27 appearances for the Cubs. Unfortunately for Mills, this did not last.

Mills saw his ERA and WHIP skyrocket over his next 39 appearances to 5.66 and 1.478, respectively. Strikeouts per nine innings also dropped during this time by over two to just 6.5. The decline in performance, combined with his injuries that year eventually led to Mills being removed from Chicago's major league roster, with the then 31-year-old electing to become a free agent.

It was the Cincinnati Reds taking a chance on Mills in 2023, signing him to a minor league deal in May, but this union did not last long. Mills only made a single bullpen appearance for the Reds, and it did not go well. Allowing two earned runs (five total) on four hits (one of which was a two-run home run off the bat of Manny Machado), one walk, and one hit batter, Mill's time with the Reds' organization lasted on single major league inning.

Even though none of this sounds all that promising, taking a low-cost flier on Milles to see if Cleveland's pitching factory can fix him would not be the worst idea. They've worked wonders before and could very well do so again.

3. Zach Davies

Should the Cleveland Guardians be looking for someone who started his fair share of games last year, perhaps Zach Davies could be an option. Davies made 18 starts for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023. While granted, it was a rough go of things for Davies, as noted by his ERA of 7.00 and 1.664 WHIP, both worst marks of his career, it should be noted that his 7.9 strikeouts per nine was the second-best mark in his nine major league seasons.

Obviously, last year's performance is not all that encouraging, but he did prove to be quite serviceable the year before in Arizona, compiling a 4.09 ERA and 1.295 WHIP in 27 starts. It is not necessarily the best or most encouraging set of numbers from 2022, but they are not the worst either.

Even though Davies' performance this past spring (9.00 ERA and 1.929 WHIP in 14 innings) did not result in making the Opening Day roster of the Washington Nationals, he did manage to strike out 17 batters during that span. Clearly, major improvements would be needed in the ERA and WHIP departments, but perhaps there could be something worthwhile to work with here, considering Davies was able to increase his strikeout frequency. If things do not work out, the Guardians could always let him go and consider another option available to them.

4. Zach Thompson

A couple of years ago, it seemed like the Miami Marlins had a late-bloomer on their hands, as a then 27-year-old Zach Thompson pitched very well in his first season in the majors. Thompson would end up with a 3.24 ERA, 1.213 WHIP, and 7.9 strikeouts per nine. It appeared that Thompson could be a serviceable arm for the Marlins, but it would not last.

A trade that following offseason saw Miami send Thompson and two others to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Jacob Stallings, and his success the previous year did not follow him to his new home. Thompson struggled with the Pirates, finishing his lone season in Pittsburgh with a 5.18 ERA and 1.512 WHIP, alongside a decrease in strikeout frequency to 6.7 per nine innings.

Thompson was traded yet again, this time to the Toronto Blue Jays, but would not make a major league appearance for the organization, eventually becoming a free agent following the 2023 season.

Taking on Thompson would definitely be a reclamation project of sorts, considering he has not been able to match his initial run of success in Miami. But if the Guardians are looking for a low-risk guy to take a chance on, Thompson could be an option.

5. Madison Bumgarner

If the Cleveland Guardians are looking for someone who has an extended track record of regular and postseason success, perhaps they could work out a deal with Madison Bumgarner.

The last couple of years of Bumgarner's career have been a bit forgettable, but that should have been somewhat expected, considering he signed a deal in free agency with the Arizona Diamondbacks before the 2020 season. The Diamondbacks were not a good team for the first three years of Bumgarner's stint in Arizona, and although they reached the World Series just last year, Bumgarner was not a part of that roster, as he was released in late April of 2023.

Yes, it does seem like Bumgarner's stock is at an all-time low because, let's face it, it is. But maybe being in a different environment could see him return to being a productive pitcher yet again. The Diamondbacks did not go on a World Series run until after his departure, meaning that very little of his time in Arizona could be considered positive.

Coming to Cleveland, an organization that has avoided having an extended period of losing, could be exactly what he needs. Cleveland had just their second losing season since 2012, a feat that is not easy to accomplish. With the Guardians off to a hot start to begin the season, perhaps this could be the right environment for Bumgarner to continue his storied career.