Breaking: Yankees Are Making Move To Land Ex-Cy Ace In Proposed $95 Million Blockbuster Trade

Due to an elbow injury, Gerrit Cole, the franchise ace, is anticipated to miss the first 10 to 12 weeks of the season for the New York Yankees. The Yankees had a rather thin rotation even before the infamously durable pitcher was ruled out until at least June. To address that, they have been interacting with free agents and looking into trades.

In his analysis of prospective “Yankees trade options” for Cole’s replacement, Dayn Perry of CBS Sports made the case for signing 2020 Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber from the Cleveland Guardians.

Perry stated, “They have realistic plans to win the AL Central this season, but Cleveland ownership always wants to cut back on their roster investments, no matter how much it hurts the on-field product.” “Bieber, who is still only 28, will enter his walk year in 2024.”

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Shane Bieber Is a Possible Trade Candidate for the New York Yankees

It is very possible that Bieber will be traded before his $13.125 million, one-year contract with the Guardians expires.According to Tim Britton of The Athletic, Bieber will fetch a five-year, $95 million contract for 2025 and beyond. Cleveland may be willing to part with some assets before determining that they will not counter bids to keep Bieber through the offseason.

However, Bieber hasn’t been the same pitcher since his incredible 2020 season, when he led the majors in wins, strikeouts, and ERA and won MLB’s pitching Triple Crown. Despite pitching for a good 3.80 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 21 starts in 2023, his future with the Yankees appears uncertain due to injury worries.

While assessing possible Yankees trade targets, Buster Olney reported for ESPN that “Cleveland’s Shane Bieber, a 2020 Cy Young Award winner, is another pitcher who has been discussed by teams as a trade target, but there are some concerns about his health after arm issues limited him to 21 starts last season.”

Perry acknowledged such worries but also mentioned that Bieber might be improving enough in the off-season to draw interest from New York.

“Bieber struggled in 2023 by his prior standards and suffered steep velocity loss in recent years,” he continued. But over the winter, he sought to recoup some lost fastball mph, and during spring training, he made progress in that area.

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The New York Yankees Might Wait Until Midseason on a Trade for Shane Bieber

After getting the news that Cole will likely return in the first half of the season, the Yankees might feel they have some time to evaluate their rotation and potential trade targets before pulling the trigger. For a potential option like Bieber, whose value largely depends on his ability to return to an MVP-caliber form, a trade closer to the 2024 deadline seems more likely.

According to Bleacher Report’s Joseph Zucker, “it’s worth it for teams that might be interested in Bieber to wait and see how he performs to start 2024.” The first few weeks and months should provide enough information to determine whether elbow inflammation is a sign of something more serious. Elbow inflammation can definitely be a concerning sign. Nearer the July 30 deadline, a Bieber trade might be more appealing, depending on where the Guardians are in the standings.