The Boston Red Sox put their best foot forward when they spotted a chance to add Shane Bieber to their starting rotation this offseason, but it wasn’t enough.
Bieber, although rumored to be “impressed” with Boston, instead signed a one-year, $10 million contract to remain put with the Cleveland Guardians. That’s the team for which Bieber debuted six years ago and became a two-time All-Star and Cy Young Award winner, putting others — including the Red Sox — at a slight disadvantage.
“I told (the Guardians) I felt like there was unfinished business,” Bieber told MLB Network Radio on Tuesday. “So I hoped that we could work something out, and eventually we did, and I’m very happy to be going back there for a multitude of reasons, honestly.”
Last season was a throwaway for Bieber in Cleveland. Bieber began red-hot out of the gate by logging back-to-back scoreless outings for the Guardians. However, that dominant start was quickly followed by a daunting turn as Bieber underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery to repair his ulnar collateral ligament in April.
Bieber knew from there that he didn’t want to say goodbye to the Guardians on a sour note and committed to bouncing back for the place he’s called home since becoming a big leaguer.
“I was hungry to get back out there (in Cleveland), and I still am,” Bieber said, per MLB Network Radio. “That’s driving me this offseason and through my rehab. On top of that, my wife and I are expecting a baby and we have a home in Arizona and just the familiarity with the rehab team and the doctors and the coaching staff — everything kind of came into play and we’re very happy to be returning.”
Bieber went 6-6 with a 3.80 ERA through 21 games during his last full season in 2023 and is three years removed from his last All-Star Game. Missing out on the right-hander isn’t the end of the world for the Red Sox as chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and the front office remain engaged in the market’s available arms.
Corbin Burnes, Walker Buehler, Jack Flaherty and Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki are among the unsigned free agents who have been linked to Boston throughout the offseason. Of course, the competition factor remains in play, too, but the Red Sox have already made their first major splash in acquiring Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for four prospects.
Perhaps the coming weeks will prove that the door closed by Boston’s Bieber fever will open up the opportunity for another newcomer to join the program in 2025.
