Proper-hander Shane Bieber has elected to return to the Toronto Blue Jays subsequent season quite than enter the open market as a free agent.
He has exercised his participant choice for the 2026 season, the workforce mentioned Wednesday.
Bieber, 30, was 4-2 and posted a 3.57 earned-run common with Toronto after being acquired from the Cleveland Guardians on the commerce deadline final summer time.
His return solidifies a beginning rotation that can seemingly embody ace Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, Jose Berrios and maybe Eric Lauer. It’s unclear if right-handers Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt will return, as each are free brokers.
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Bieber, whose choice is value US$16 million, was 2-1 within the post-season with a 3.86 ERA. He earned a Recreation 4 street win towards the Los Angeles Dodgers within the World Collection and pitched in aid in Recreation 7.
Bieber gave up a go-ahead residence run to Will Smith within the eleventh inning of the Blue Jays’ 5-4 loss at Rogers Centre.
Since making his big-league debut with Cleveland in 2018, Bieber has a 66-34 document with 3.24 ERA. He received the American League Cy Younger Award within the pandemic-shortened 2020 marketing campaign after going 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA for the Guardians.
Bieber allowed two hits over six innings in his Toronto debut on Aug. 22 in his first major-league begin since present process Tommy John surgical procedure in April 2024.
His return for 2026 was considerably of a shock, given he seemingly may have signed a profitable long-term deal on the open market. By returning to the Blue Jays, he will get an opportunity to spice up his worth additional on a workforce that’s anticipated to contend once more subsequent 12 months.
Toronto received 94 video games this previous season to say the American League East Division title.
The Blue Jays defeated the New York Yankees within the AL Division Collection and the Seattle Mariners within the AL Championship Collection earlier than falling to the Dodgers.
Spring coaching begins in mid-February. The Blue Jays will start their 2026 season on March 26 towards the visiting Athletics.
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