Right-handed pitcher Shane Bieber opted into his $16 million player option with the Toronto Blue Jays for the 2026 season, choosing to forgo free agency, a source told ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
The 2020 American League Cy Young Award winner signed a two-year, $26 million deal with the Cleveland Guardians last winter while he was still rehabbing from elbow surgery. As he was set to return to the big league team following four minor league rehab starts, Cleveland dealt him to Toronto at the trade deadline for prospect right-hander Khal Stephen. Stephen was later ranked by ESPN as the 60th-best prospect in baseball.
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Bieber made seven starts in the 2025 regular season for Toronto, posting a 3.57 ERA. He then made five postseason appearances, including winning Game 4 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Bieber’s performance this year was in line with his previous seven campaigns, all with Cleveland, including gaining some fastball velocity (up to 92.7 mph on average) to return almost all the way back to what it was in 2021 (92.9 mph).
For his career, Bieber, a two-time All-Star, has a 66-34 record in 141 starts with a 3.24 ERA and 995 strikeouts. He won the Cy Young Award in the 60-game 2020 season, when he finished with an 8-1 record, a league-low 1.63 ERA and AL-best 122 strikeouts.
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel contributed to this report.
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