NEW YORK — The Guardians found themselves in a difficult situation before they traded Shane Bieber to Toronto on Thursday, hours before the 6 p.m. deadline. They had spent the better part of two years helping the former Cy Young winner rehab from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in April of 2024.

Shane Bieber’s Comments After Blue Jays Trade Will Make Guardians Fans Emotional originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Toronto Blue Jays entered Saturday tied for the best record in the AL, but it's not because of their pitching numbers. They're 22nd in baseball with a team 4.31 ERA and tied for 10th with a .242 batting average against.

However, they did swing one noteworthy deal, shipping off Shane Bieber to the Toronto Blue Jays for pitching prospect Khal Stephen. A few days after the deal, former MLB executive Jim Bowden of The Athletic deemed this the best trade at the deadline, but not for the Guardians.