After a hot start coming out of the All-Star break, the Toronto Blue Jays are tied for the best record in all of baseball at 64-46 on the season. And on Thursday, the organization made a huge move to make sure they stay atop the league standings by bringing in a former Cy Young winner with a track record of excellent results when it matters most.
The Blue Jays offense has been a force to be reckoned with this season, with a collective team batting average of .265 on the year that is far and away the highest in all of baseball.
If there was one area to critique for the Blue Jays this year, it would be their pitching staff that ranks just 22nd in all of baseball with a 4.27 ERA on the year. But that is likely set to change after acquiring Shane Bieber from the Cleveland Guardians in a blockbuster move on Thursday just hours before the trade deadline passes.
Bieber is of course best known for his 2020 season where he won the Cy Young award with a 1.63 ERA on the year. But in recent years, Bieber has unfortunately dealt with injuries that have kept him off the field.
The former Cy Young winner has yet to pitch at the major league level in 2025, as he has been rehabbing from a Tommy John surgery in April of 2024. But he has made four rehab starts at the Double-A level. So it seems like he may be eyeing an MLB return very shortly.
That return now will come as a member of the Blue Jays and not as a member of the Guardians. And while it is obviously unclear that Bieber will look like coming off of the Tommy John surgery, Blue Jays fans are undoubtedly excited about the upside Bieber brings in this trade.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.