9 Guardians Who Won't Return in 2024
By Tyler Maher
6. Shane Bieber
Bieber is heading into his final year of team control, which means the Guardians have a big decision to make with him. They can either hang on to him and try to win in 2024 before almost certainly losing him next winter, or they can trade him now and try to address other issues on the roster.
At this point, moving on from Bieber is probably the most logical baseball move. The former Cy Young winner took a significant step back in 2023, posting the second-worst ERA (3.80) and highest FIP (3.87) of his career. His strikeout rate also nosedived for the third consecutive season, plummeting to 7.5 K/9.
Bieber isn't an ace anymore, and Cleveland would be wise to move him now while his trade value is still relatively high. If he continues to regress or gets hurt again in 2024, the front office won't be able to get much of anything for him.
Keeping Bieber around is simply too risky. The Guardians already have ample starting pitching, so trading him for a big bat or a batch of prospects would improve their outlook for 2024 and beyond.
It's never easy to let go of a homegrown star, but it's the right move for Cleveland.