Shane Bieber unfairly receives less than ideal title

The 2024 regular season is in its final weeks, and with that comes analysis of how things played out, and sometimes that analysis can be a little unfair.

When it comes to identifying Each MLB Team's Worst Bang-For-Your-Buck Player in 2024, Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter determined that the Cleveland Guardians player most deserving of this label is none other than 2020 Cy Young Award Winner Shane Bieber.

Bieber and his $13.1 million salary for this season which accounts for just over 12% of Cleveland's payroll was Reuter's selection here and based on that criteria, in addition to getting all of 12 innings out of the former Cy Young winner before being lost for the season, it seems like an appropriate choice. But is it truly the most fitting person to be given this label?

Sure, on the surface, it seems like Bieber is relatively uncontested in this area, considering the financial resources allocated to a player that made only two appearances this season. However, when other options are evaluated, there may be a better player fitting for this label.

Reuter would name two other names getting consideration, Scott Barlow and Myles Straw. Barlow has been fine but is clearly not the relief option he was in previous years, so his $6.7 million salary getting mentioned here is not a surprise. But when it comes to Straw? That seems like it could have been Cleveland's entry here, and nobody would have batted an eye.

Straw is making $4.9 million this year and has spent the entire season down in Triple-A Columbus. If you want to talk about not getting bang for your buck, this seems like a more than appropriate player to mention here. Cleveland's former starting center fielder was unable to beat out a less-than-inspiring group outside of Steven Kwan to crack the Opening Day roster. The Guardians decided they would rather waste time with Estevan Florial and Ramon Laureano in the lineup than see Straw make a single major league appearance this season. That alone should be more than enough for Straw to warrant greater consideration here.

Perhaps next time, a deeper dive into the state of the organization will be made instead of just seeing someone with a high salary and deciding they are the best choice. Because let's be honest here, Cleveland at least got something out of Bieber in the majors this season, while Straw has provided absolutely nothing. That has to count for something, doesn't it?