Cleveland Guardians look unlikely to trade Shane Bieber before 2024 season

With MLB's offseason beginning to look more towards spring training just a month or so away, there's a good chance Shane Bieber might be entering the 2024 season still as a member of the Cleveland Guardians.

According to Jon Heyman of the NY Post, the team appears rather unlikely to deal Bieber, thanks in large part to the current state of the AL Central and Cleveland's legitimate chances to win the division this season. Bieber, 28, just agreed to a one-year, $13.25 deal to avoid arbitration with the team for 2024 and will remain an integral part of the Guardians' success.

For the Guardians, they never had to deal Bieber in the first place. Sure, there was the potential opportunity to grab a couple prospects in a deal, maybe a decent-enough outfield bat they could plug into the lineup right away. But it would come at the cost of dealing from the team's one true strength - the rotation - which right now includes three guys coming off rookie seasons and two (Bieber and Triston McKenzie) coming off major injuries.

Cleveland no doubt recognizes the tightrope the rotation might be walking again this season, and the Guardians will likely need all the help they can get.

This doesn't mean the Guardians weren't listening to offers on Bieber, which they clearly were. But it's doubtful any team was offering enough to make it worthwhile. And this certainly doesn't eliminate the possibility of a trade-deadline deal, where it'll be far more clear what Cleveland's chances for contention really are.

But for now, it looks like Guardians fans will get a little bit more time with their ace.