TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays are finalizing a creative move to bolster their rotation with a top-end starter, reaching an agreement with the Cleveland Guardians on Shane Bieber for pitching prospect Khal Stephen, the team announced Thursday.
Bieber, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, began a rehab assignment on July 15 and has made four starts, most recently on Tuesday at double-A Akron, when he allowed one run over four innings with seven strikeouts.
Rehab assignments can last up to 30 days, giving the Blue Jays up to two weeks before he needs to be activated.
A Cy Young award winner in 2020 and a two-time all-star, Bieber, when healthy, is a front-of-the-rotation starter who can miss bats and haul innings — exactly what every team wants for the playoffs.
He has a player option for $16 million next season, making the price of Stephen, a second-round pick last year who has struck out 99 batters in 91.2 innings in 18 games across three levels, a high price, but one indicative of the scarcity of impact starters on the trade market.