NL contender has "checked in" with Guardians about Shane Bieber

The seemingly never-ending saga of what the Cleveland Guardians plan to do with Shane Bieber has another chapter.

In a recent exploratory article from MLB.com's Juan Toribio, which outlined how the Los Angeles Dodgers could somehow get better, it was revealed that the National League West powerhouse has reached out to the Guardians about the 2020 Cy Young Award winner. 

"Los Angeles has checked in with the Guardians on Shane Bieber, who will be a free agent at the end of the ‘24 season. "

Juan Toribio

Toribio would also state that the Guardians are a "tough team to deal with.", which really means that they are not pushovers and are going to cave to the demands of the mighty Dodgers for the sake of doing so. It should also be mentioned,= that it is Los Angeles that is a notoriously difficult team for a competent front office like Cleveland's to do business with, considering that the Dodgers are often interested in acquiring top-tier talent from small to mid-market teams but without giving up anything of value, such as their best prospects, along the way. With that in mind, which team is the tough one to deal with? Would it be Cleveland and their ability to actually get something worthwhile for their best players, or is it Los Angeles who wants everything for nothing? Los Angeles seems to be the correct answer here.

As of now, the Guardians do not seem to be all that motivated to move Bieber at this time. However, that does not mean a trade will not come to fruition between now and Opening Day. All it takes is one injury or a team that believes they are one pitcher away from being a World Series contender, and Cleveland could be a little more willing to seriously listen to offers for Bieber.