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Like many pitchers before him, Shane Bieber's past career triumphs are being overshadowed by lingering injury questions. Indeed, Bieber's precarious status is beginning to look like a red flag for many teams interested in him.
"Red flag" was exactly the term used by MLB analyst Steve Phillips in a recent appearance on MLB Network Radio. According to Phillips, Bieber's health is spooking a lot of potential suitors away.
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""When you continuously have forearm and elbow issues that cause you to miss time, it's just such a red flag." @StevePhillipsGM has some concerns about trading for former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber." - MLB Network Radio on Xirius XM
Ahead of the 2023 season, Bieber inked a one-year, $10 million deal with the Cleveland Guardians, the only MLB team he has ever known. However, elbow inflammation rendered the 28-year-old inactive from July to September. In the end, Bieber went 6-6 with a career-high ERA of 3.80.
While the numbers are not terrible, they represent a significant decline for the 6-foot-3 right-hander. Shane Bieber won the 2020 Cy Young Award after going 8-1 with a league-best ERA of 1.63 alongside 122 strikeouts in the shortened season.
A subscapularis strain limited Bieber to just 16 starts in 2021. Now, it appears as though injuries are playing an even bigger role. Phillips' warning comes amid reports that teams are interested in trading for Bieber, who will be up for arbitration next season.
The Cubs and Cincinnati Reds are among the teams reported to be interested in trading for Bieber. Whether or not these organizations can rely on the Shane Bieber of the past is yet to be determined.
Shane Bieber remains a high-risk gamble for interested parties
Despite lingering and increasingly apparent injuries, Bieber has still given Cleveland fans glimpses of brilliance. Last season, Bieber pitched 7.2 innings of shutout ball in his team's victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Wild Card Game, for example.
However, with health concerns taking up more and more of Bieber's time, the question remains for teams whether or not they want to risk him. Unfortunately, Bieber's story is becoming an all-too-familiar tale of a dominant ace who fell victim to the injury bug, maybe permanently.
