Major League Baseball team Toronto Blue Jays secure pitchers Bieber and Varland in a deal.
Toronto Blue Jays Acquire Shane Bieber from Cleveland Guardians
The Toronto Blue Jays have made a significant move in their pursuit of postseason success, acquiring Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber from the Cleveland Guardians. Bieber, who won the award in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, is currently undergoing rehab with the Blue Jays after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2024.
Bieber has made several promising rehab starts in the minors, most recently striking out six over five innings with the Blue Jays’ Triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons. If he regains even close to his previous elite level, he is expected to significantly strengthen Toronto’s rotation and enhance their postseason chances in 2025.
The Blue Jays view Bieber as a high-upside, high-reward addition given his previous status as a Cy Young Award winner and top starting pitcher before injury. The team has a deep rotation, and if Bieber returns to near his prior form, he could be a key starter in the postseason, potentially in Game 1 or 2 of a playoff series. However, his impact largely depends on his recovery progress; the Blue Jays expect one more rehab start before deciding next steps.
The trade cost was significant, including prospect Khal Stephen, but the move reflects Toronto’s ambition to capitalize on Bieber’s potential return to form and push deeply into the postseason, an area where the Blue Jays have lacked success for nearly a decade. Bieber has a $16 million player option for 2026, but it is considered unlikely he will exercise it given the Blue Jays' hopeful trajectory with him in 2025.
In addition to Bieber, the Blue Jays also acquired right-handed pitcher Louis Varland and first baseman Ty France from the Minnesota Twins. Varland posted a 2.02 earned-run average through 51 games with the Twins this season, while France appeared in 803 career MLB games with San Diego, Seattle, Cincinnati, and Minnesota.
The Blue Jays also sent outfielder Alan Roden and left-handed pitcher Kendry Rojas to the Twins. Roden was named the Blue Jays Minor League Player of the Year in 2024, while Rojas started 10 games across four levels in the Blue Jays' minor-league system this season for an ERA of 3.46 over 41.2 innings.
Infielder Will Wagner was dealt to the Padres by the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday. Wagner, a 27-year-old from Houston, Texas, appeared in 40 games for the Blue Jays this season with a batting average of .237, seven extra-base hits, and seven RBI.
Brandon Valenzuela, a catching prospect, was acquired from the San Diego Padres by the Toronto Blue Jays. Valenzuela, a 24-year-old catcher from Hermosillo, Mexico, hit 14 doubles, a triple, a dozen home runs, and 46 RBI while carrying an on-base plus slugging percentage of .700 through 87 games for Double-A San Antonio this season.
The Blue Jays are hoping that these acquisitions will propel them towards a successful postseason run in 2025. With Bieber poised for a potential MLB return soon, the team is optimistic about their chances of breaking their decade-long drought in the postseason.
The Toronto Blue Jays, anticipating a return to form for Shane Bieber, aim to leverage his elite pitching skills to bolster their rotation and escalate their postseason chances in 2025. With Bieber potentially starting a playoff series game, his impact could be significant in helping the Blue Jays end their postseason drought that spans nearly a decade.
