Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Guardians and Milwaukee Brewers ace Corbin Burnes are both coming off somewhat down 2023 seasons. Each has a recent Cy Young to his resume. Each could potentially be moved this winter.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports, general managers around the MLB world expect Bieber and Burnes to join Tyler Glasnow of the Tampa Bay Rays in being available on the MLB trade market following the ongoing World Series.
“The top pitchers expected to be available on this trade market this season, according to GMs, are Corbin Burnes of the Milwaukee Brewers, Tyler Glasnow of the Tampa Bay Rays and Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Guardians,” Nightengale noted recently.
It shouldn’t necessarily come as too much of a surprise that these three are being bandied about. We heard rumors about the availability of Bieber and Burnes leading up to the in-season Aug. 1 MLB trade deadline.
Milwaukee was battling for first place in the National League Central at that point while the Guardians were in competition with the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central. This led to both teams keeping their aces. Now that their seasons are over, this might not be the case.
Shane Bieber’s market on the MLB trade block
Bieber, 28, is slated to hit the final year of arbitration in 2024. Spotrac estimates his figure to be $12 million for next season. That could be too rich for the Guardians’ blood.
This past season saw Bieber post a 6-6 record with a 3.80 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 21 starts. He missed substantial time due to elbow inflammation in righty’s throwing arm. However, Bieber has more than proven himself to be a top-of-the-rotation arm since debuting with Cleveland back in 2018. That included winning the American League Cy Young during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign.
Shane Bieber career stats: 60-32 record, 3.27 ERA, 1.12 WHIP
In addition to these solid numbers, Bieber is averaging 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings throughout his career. Teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants in the National League West have needs for top-end starters heading into the winter.
Corbin Burnes as a legitimate MLB trade option
Burnes, 29, earned the National League Cy Young Award back in 2021. That season saw him pitch to an 11-5 record with a 2.43 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. He also led the NL 12.6 strikeouts per nine innings.
As with Bieber, he’s coming off somewhat of a down 2023 season (10-8 record, 3.39 ERA). Though, Burnes did lead the NL with a 1.07 WHIP while striking out 200 batters in 193.2 innings. Burnes is also entering his final year of arbitration at an estimated $14.1 million.
Despite winning the NL Central with 92 wins this past season, Milwaukee was swept out of the National League Playoffs by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the wild card round. The team could look to retool on the fly. Trading someone who will hit free agency after next season makes sense for the mid-market team.
Those potentially interested in Burnes include both New York teams in that of the Mets and Yankees. We also wouldn’t be surprised if the aforementioned Dodgers and Giants got involved.