The AL Central champion, Cleveland Guardians, saw their exciting playoff run end on Saturday night as they lost to the New York Yankees in five games in the ALCS.
The Guardians pulled off some late-game magic in Game 3 of the ALCS as rookie Jhonkensy Noel hit a game-tying two-run home run in the ninth inning, followed by a game-winning two-run home run from David Fry in extra innings.
However, Cleveland could replicate that magic as the Yankees took Game 4 and Game 5 as superstar outfielder Juan Soto hit the series-clinching three-run home run in the 10th inning.
For Guardians fans, the 2024 season was a massive improvement from where the team was last year. In 2023, Cleveland had a 76-86 record and finished third in the AL Central. This year, the Guardians had the second-best record in the American League (92-69) under first-year manager Stephen Vogt.
That said, with the 2024 season officially in the books, the Guardians’ front office and fans will start looking ahead to the 2025 season.
The Guardians don’t have many free agents to re-sign this offseason, as their core is locked in for next season. But they must decide whether to bring back Shane Bieber, who only made two starts this season before undergoing Tommy John surgery.
With Tanner Bibee emerging as the ace of this staff, the Guardians might be better off pursuing another starter to pair with him, not Bieber. We’ll discuss five players from this season’s team who might not be playing at Progressive Field in 2025.
1. Shane Bieber
The former AL Cy Young Award winner saw his 2024 season ended prematurely due to Tommy John surgery in April. Bieber was looking to build off his 2023 campaign, where he only made 21 starts because of elbow issues.
The two-time All-Star made two starts this season against the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics, recording 20 strikeouts in 12 innings. With Bieber working his way back from Tommy John, there’s uncertainty around his free agency.
Spotrac.com projects the 32-year-old starting pitcher’s calculated market value at a six-year, $147.2 million deal. However, it’s unlikely he’ll command that type of deal on the open market.
Based on the nature of his injury and rehab, Cleveland could bring back the veteran pitcher on a short-term deal. Granted, Biber won’t be ready to pitch until the summer. At the same time, it wouldn’t be a bad idea as a Bieber-Bibee 1-2 combo would solidify the top of the rotation.
Also, the Guardians hope Triston McKenzie can fix his pitching woes as he was sent down to the minor leagues this season.
When healthy Bieber is one of the best pitchers in the American League, let alone the majors. But the last time he made at least 30 starts was in 2022, which seems like a long time ago.
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