The Toronto Blue Jays were two outs away from winning their first World Series since 1993 on Saturday, but Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas hit a solo homer off closer Jeff Hoffman to tie the game 4-4 in the top of the ninth. Then, Dodgers catcher Will Smith hit a solo homer off right-hander Shane Bieber in the 11th, and the Blue Jays didn’t score in the bottom frame. Los Angeles won Game 7 5-4, giving it its second championship in as many years.
Toronto didn’t think that Bieber would give up a game-deciding homer in Game 7 of the World Series when it acquired him from the Cleveland Guardians at the trade deadline, but baseball is full of surprises. The former AL Cy Young Award winner went 4-2 with a 3.57 ERA over seven regular-season starts for the club before going 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA over five outings (four starts) in the playoffs.
The Blue Jays received news about Bieber on Tuesday night, via The New York Post’s Jon Heyman.
“Breaking: Shane Bieber has opted in with the Blue Jays for $16M. Wants to continue in Toronto for another year with Jays,” he reported.
Bieber signed a two-year, $26 million deal with Cleveland in December, which Toronto inherited, per Spotrac. The contract included a player option for 2026, which the 30-year-old opted into on Tuesday.
Will Shane Bieber Return to Prime Form?
Bieber emerged as a young star for the Guardians in 2019, earning his first All-Star appearance and finishing the year 15-8 with a 3.28 ERA over 34 outings (33 starts). The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder then followed that up with his Cy Young campaign in 2020, going 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA over 12 starts in the COVID-shortened season.
Bieber then missed three months with a shoulder strain in 2021 before going 13-8 with a 2.88 ERA over 31 starts in 2022. The veteran then missed three months again with elbow inflammation the following year before undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2024. His last start as a Guardian was on April 2 of that year, and he didn’t pitch again until August 22, 2025.
The Blue Jays could use the Cy Young version of Bieber as they attempt to avenge their World Series loss next season. Adding that to a rotation with ace Kevin Gausman (3.59 ERA in 2025) and young star Trey Yesavage (3.58 postseason ERA) might make that dream a reality, but it’s far from a sure thing given that he’ll be three years removed from his last fully healthy campaign.
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