Shane Bieber’s World Series loss could open up door for potential Guardians reunion

There’s a good chance the lasting image of Shane Bieber’s time with the Blue Jays is going to be the fatal pitch that he threw to Will Smith. 

While he was a solid starter for them in the second half and postseason, Bieber came in to pitch in relief in the 11th inning and promptly generated two groundouts on three pitches. But then he left a slider over the plate to Smith that he knew was going to be trouble the minute it left his hand. 

As Smith’s eventual game-winning homer sailed toward the Blue Jays’ bullpen in left field, Bieber watched it fly with a slight grimace on his face before bringing his gaze back to earth. 

Now, with that fresh in every MLB evaluator's mind, Bieber is officially a (healthy) free agent for the first time in his career. Could a return to the Guardians be in the cards? 

Could Shane Bieber's crushing Game 7 performance result in him returning to the Guardians?

Don’t get us wrong, Bieber will still earn a solid payday in free agency. He posted a 3.66 ERA in 59 innings combined across the regular season and postseason, and looks healthy for the first time since 2022. But he still may have to take another short-term deal with an opt-out after the first year of the contract to prove that he’s fully healthy. 

Former MLB general manager Jim Bowden confirmed that could be the case last week with his list of this offseason's the top 50 free agents. He ranked Bieber 16th on his list and predicted Bieber would sign a 3-year, $75 million contract with opt-outs after each season along with including the Guardians as one of Bieber’s best fits.

Although Bieber being mentioned as a best fit doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to be a frontrunner for him, Bowden’s plugged into the executive world, so there’s probably some fire with that smoke. 

Not only do the Guardians and Bieber have a ton of familiarity with each other (which is part of the reason why he re-signed with Cleveland last offseason), but the Guardians also likely won’t be scared of his desire to include opt-outs in his contract. 

Last offseason, the Guardians signed Bieber to a one-year, $14 million contract with a $10 million option for 2025 while he was rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. He’s set to decline that option in lieu of a $4 million buyout. 

That could set up a situation where the Guardians are able to double-dip on Bieber. They already have stud pitching prospect Khal Stephen in the fold after acquiring him from the Blue Jays in exchange for Bieber, and bringing him back as a free agent would turn that trade into even more of a win. 

After Toronto’s loss in Game 7, Bieber said that the loss is “going to sting for a while” and spoke extremely highly of his time with the Blue Jays. 

It was the kind of thing that players say across MLB after their team’s season ends — let alone after one of the biggest losses in MLB history. 

Bieber’s one of the bigger starting pitchers available on the market, so his free agent market could end up being a slow burn. But it looks like the Guardians could be on the periphery of that burn. 

Which will make it sting even more when he inevitably signs with the Dodgers.