Shane Bieber’s family sends clear message about a potential Blue Jays return

Shane Bieber’s future with the Toronto Blue Jays appears uncertain, but his family clearly wants to stay connected to the city.

In a thoughtful farewell message shared on social media, Bieber’s wife expressed her appreciation for Toronto, the Blue Jays and the people who made their time with the organization memorable.

Meantime, Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi wrote that there were some mutual feelings about the possibility of the Bieber's return. In Davedi's latest column on Sportsnet he wrote that inside the Blue Jays’ clubhouse after the season: amid the packing boxes, one left in the middle of the room was marked, “57 … Leave here for good luck.”

Bieber finished the year on the injured list with a teres major strain, but he made it clear he would welcome another opportunity in Toronto. He told Davedi, "I just know that I have a lot of good left in front of me and I hope it's here."

The Blue Jays would welcome a healthy Bieber back without hesitation. The problem is, he's had difficulty staying on the mound over the last few seasons.

Toronto acquired the former American League Cy Young Award winner from the Cleveland Guardians at the 2025 trade deadline while he was completing his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Bieber returned to post a 3.57 ERA across seven regular-season starts. He then pitched in some big spots during the Blue Jays’ run to the World Series.

His most memorable performance came in Game 4 at Dodger Stadium. One night after Toronto suffered a heartbreaking 18-inning loss, Bieber held the Los Angeles Dodgers to one earned run on four hits over 5.1 innings, helping the Blue Jays even the series at two games apiece.

There were a few more flashes of that version of Bieber in 2026. Bieber held the New York Yankees to one run over six innings in mid-August, then followed it by limiting the Tampa Bay Rays to one run on four hits across seven innings on Aug. 20. He struck out seven without issuing a walk in Toronto’s 5-1 victory. Unfortunately, that was also his final appearance of the season in a year where he didn't get into a game until June 23, thanks to dealing with forearm fatigue during spring training.

Bieber landed on the injured list with teres major inflammation and finished the year with a 5-2 record, a 4.37 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 55.2 innings. Since joining Toronto, he has looked more like a mid-to-back-end starter than the ace who once dominated the American League. That could be all the Blue Jays need from him, but those are the kinds of conversations that will have to come together this winter.

Blue Jays-Bieber reunion could work, but the price has to be right ahead of 2027

If the season began today, the Blue Jays would have three clear starters in Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage and José Soriano. That is a promising foundation, but the chaos of 2026 should prevent the front office from assuming three established arms will be enough.

Toronto used 15 different starting pitchers and was forced into more than 40 bullpen games as one injury followed another. Bieber, Yesavage, José Berríos, Max Scherzer, Bowden Francis, Patrick Corbin and Cody Ponce all hit the IL at some point in the year. The Blue Jays went into the season thinking they had plenty of depth and still spent much of the season scrambling for innings.

Still, there are several internal candidates for the final two rotation spots after those three mentioned above. Spencer Arrighetti, acquired from the Houston Astros for Daulton Varsho, will likely receive an opportunity. Spencer Miles goes into the offseason with manager John Schneider's approval to approach the new year as a starter. Ricky Tiedemann, Bloss, Ponce and Francis could all enter the conversation if they are healthy.

The Blue Jays must also consider their approaching 40-man roster crunch. Pitching prospects Gage Stanifer, Nolan Perry and Daniel Guerra are among the names eligible for the Rule 5 Draft and after the year they have had in the minors, they should be protected by this organization. Adding them would preserve some depth, and continue building them toward their MLB debuts.

And after what happened in 2026, the Blue Jays could use all the depth it can get, no matter what the cost. That brings us back to Bieber, who likely won't be available for pennies on the dollar. The 31-year-old will probably be looking for at least a similar deal that he was on this year ($16-million). He could also be looking for a raise, though that might be hard to justify after only 11 starts.

A lower guarantee with performance incentives would be a more sensible framework. It would compensate Bieber if he stays healthy and approaches his previous form. But the Blue Jays are also going to be weighing other options on the market.

Trevor Rogers, Foster Griffin, Casey Mize, Shota Imanaga and Freddy Peralta are among the starters who could draw interest. A reunion with Kevin Gausman cannot be dismissed, either. The Blue Jays will surely check in on Tarik Skubal, the premier arm available, although fans have learned not to build an offseason around the expectation that the biggest name will choose Toronto.

Those alternatives cover a wide range of cost, upside and risk. Combined with the names of guys already on the roster who will be making a fraction of the cost of what Bieber could command, and we're looking at what could be a tough fit for Bieber if the Blue Jays do manage to land one of those free agents from that group above.

If another club is willing to pay Bieber like a dependable mid-rotation starter, Toronto should be prepared to move on. But if spring training is nearing and Bieber is still on the market, and his price remains reasonable, a reunion shouldn't be ruled out.

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