Cubs reportedly interested in Shane Bieber

Joe Camporeale - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 20 hours ago

It's no secret that the lack of starting pitching depth over the past few seasons has hurt the Cubs, as they haven't done the best job trying to solve that. Sure, this season saw better results, but adding guys like Colin Rea and Chris Flexen to the staff aren't the moves that are going to put you over the top.

That is why the trade deadline is crucial to the Cubs' success for not only this season, but also for next season, as they need at least one more impact arm in their rotation that has multiple years of control and can help keep things stabilized until Justin Steele is 100% ready to come back. A name that hasn't been mentioned until today was a name linked to the Cubs last offseason, and at one point, it seemed as if a deal was close to being done.

The name is Shane Bieber, as the Cleveland Guardians right-hander is set to make a AAA rehab appearance later this week as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. There is no denying that when Bieber is on top of his game, he can be one of the best pitchers in the game, as he has won an AL Cy Young award before.

At 30 years old, Bieber is nearing the end of his prime, but if you look at how he has pitched since entering the league in 2018, there is little doubt that he has several strong years left in the tank. Since entering the league, not only has Bieber been about as consistent as they come, but he has won 30 more games than he has lost and is 62-32 for his career while posting a 3.22 ERA.

That includes an impressive 8-1 showing during the COVID-shortened season, as he pitched to a 1.93 ERA in 77 innings that season. Bieber also walked 21 and struck out 122 during that season, which was the start of what has been a dominating run for him. Even if the numbers haven't looked great in recent seasons, Bieber is the definition of an ace and would fit in nicely in the middle of the Cubs' rotation.

Last season saw Bieber get off to another great start as he started the season 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA, only to miss the remainder of the season with Tommy John. Now, on the verge of returning to an MLB mound for the first time since last April, now could be the time to make a play on Bieber, as he could help the team both this season and next season, which is what the Cubs are looking for.

Unlike most Aces who pride themselves on high velocity, Bieber is known more as a pitch-first guy who prides himself on location. In other words, he is a strike thrower and with a fastball that averages 93-94 MPH, he needs to hit his spots as he doesn't have the velocity to blow hitters away. What sets Bieber apart from many other pitchers is his ability to change speeds at any point in the count, as his 82 MPH breaking ball has emerged as one of the best secondary offerings in the game.

Despite not being made public until today, the Guardians are starting to receive plenty of calls on Bieber as he is set to make his fourth and potentially final rehab start this Wednesday night in AA. From all indications, if that start goes as planned, Bieber will likely be back in the bigs by next weekend and could be a massive boost to any contending team in need of a starter.

The Cubs are one of those teams, and with the relationship Carter Hawkins has with not only Bieber, but the entire Guardians organization, you have to wonder if he has started to make some calls. This couldn't have happened at a better time for the Cubs, as the Guardians are having one of their worst seasons in the past decade and appear destined to miss the playoffs.

Had they been in the playoff hunt, Bieber would be one of the last guys they would even consider trading, but the harsh reality is they need help in a big way. As tough as it would be for the Guardians to move on from Bieber, it will even be tougher to trade for him, as the return for Bieber is going to cost a ton.

Owen Caissie would have to be included in that deal, but the Guardians may ask for multiple top-10 guys, which at that point it becomes a question as to whether or not a contract is worth the risk. Considering he is owed 21 million dollars, should he opt into next season, Bieber holds the cards to what his future holds, but knowing how long he has been away, passing on $21 million after two months of work seems unlikely, as he could be the pitcher the Cubs have been waiting for.