Blue Jays reaped rewards of AL East trade deadline bidding war in Game 7

Toronto Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins has executed one of the most dramatic turnarounds in recent memory. Atkins knew what he was doing all along and fans of the Blue Jays can further praise his moves after clinching the American League pennant.

Shane Bieber was pitching for a Cleveland organization that Atkins is intimately familiar with. Bieber was a pitcher that the Toronto front office had been watching closely. Most importantly, Bieber was one of the high-upside pitchers available at last summer's trade deadline who could make a big difference down the stretch.

Still, there were questions about just how valuable Bieber really was. He hadn't pitched since April 2024 on account of Tommy John Surgery and had posted middling results since his 2020 AL Cy Young award so when the Blue Jays brought him in, they were being careful with his eventual return to action.

Blue Jays reaped rewards of AL East trade deadline bidding war in Game 7

The Boston Red Sox, who were engaged in a playoff race with the Blue Jays, knew they needed to strengthen the top of their starting rotation behind ace Garrett Crochet. There was plenty of trepidation in Boston about acquiring a guy with question marks about his health and performance. In the end, one man's loss is another man's gain.

"Unless he goes to a playoff team, regains his Cy Young form, and comes up big in October, Bieber seems likely to accept that option and go for a new contract in 2026," wrote 98.5 The Sports Hub, a Boston-based sports news website.

Check. Check. Check. That last part about accepting the option won't be sorted out until the Blue Jays season is officially over, but this trade is a massive success. The Blue Jays successfully stared down a division rival while trying to acquire one of the better starting pitchers available at the trade deadline.

The Blue Jays had to give up Khal Stephen in order to acquire a difference-making starting pitcher for the most important games of the season. Stephen could become a star with the Guardians, but Toronto's front office correctly gambled that the cost was worth the benefit.

Bieber came through for the Blue Jays in the playoffs. In Game 7 of the ALCS, Bieber worked around a total of eight base runners but did an amazing job of limiting the damage. He yielded two earned runs on seven hits, one walk and five strikeouts.

Bieber worked around damage in the opening frame by getting
an eyebrow-raising, inning ending double play when his former teammate, Josh Naylor, jumped in the way of a throw.

Two leadoff singles in the next inning were erased because he made great pitches against the light-hitting bottom of the lineup for the Mariners.

His other start in the ALCS was just as amazing. An early two-run home run to Julio Rodriguez served as the only blemish on a night when he totaled eight strikeouts in his six innings of work. At this point, a mediocre start at Yankee Stadium in Game 3 of the ALDS can safely be thrown into the trashcan of history.

Bieber performed really well for the Blue Jays after the trade deadline. He posted a 3.57 ERA in 40.1 innings with a 37:7 strikeout-to-walk ratio ratio. The Blue Jays will likely be on the lookout for starting pitching whenever this dream season comes to an end as Bieber will probably seek a bigger contract. However, maybe his success in Toronto has fostered a partnership that can continue between him and the Blue Jays.