Sat Aug 02 19:40:00 UTC 2025: **FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
**Blue Jays Acquire Former Cy Young Winner Shane Bieber in Deadline Blockbuster**
**TORONTO, ON -** The Toronto Blue Jays made a significant splash at the 2025 Trade Deadline, acquiring right-handed pitcher Shane Bieber from the Cleveland Guardians. The move signals a bold attempt by the Blue Jays to bolster their playoff aspirations and potentially end their nearly decade-long postseason victory drought.
Bieber, a former Cy Young Award winner, is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery and is expected to make a rehab start with Triple-A Buffalo this Sunday. Manager John Schneider expressed excitement about the acquisition, highlighting Bieber’s established track record and labeling the trade a “high-risk, high-reward type thing.”
“This is obviously really exciting,” Schneider said. “We’re talking about a guy with a legit track record and a Cy Young… When you get a chance to add a guy like that, you do it.”
The Blue Jays parted with No. 5 prospect Khal Stephen to secure Bieber, a price General Manager Ross Atkins acknowledged as “significant.” However, Atkins emphasized the team’s enthusiasm for Bieber’s potential impact, both in the immediate future and beyond.
“It’s just so exciting to think about him in this organization moving forward,” Atkins said. “We’re open. We are obviously extremely interested or we wouldn’t have given up such a significant piece. For now, we’re just focused on the impact this year.”
Bieber holds a $16 million player option for the 2026 season, but if he performs well down the stretch, he could test free agency. The Blue Jays are hoping to impress Bieber and potentially work out an extension, similar to their previous deal with José Berríos.
Bieber expressed mixed emotions about leaving the only organization he’s ever known but conveyed excitement about joining the Blue Jays.
“It was a range of emotions. There’s no reason to shy away from that, right?” Bieber said. “That is the only organization that I’ve known and that my family has known… To come to a team with so much momentum right now is exciting. It’s invigorating.”
He is expected to throw five innings in Triple-A Buffalo before joining the Blue Jays active roster. The Blue Jays hope Bieber can recapture his pre-surgery form and potentially start a pivotal postseason game, potentially ending their long dry spell. The team hopes that by bringing in a star like Bieber, they can turn a postseason appearance into a World Series championship.
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