Given the state of the starting pitcher free agent market and how expensive a lot of those guys are going to end up being, it is no wonder that the Atlanta Braves seem to be actively looking at the trade market as an alternative. The Braves haven't liked handing out big money to free agents since the Ted Turner days and this is particularly true of pitchers. With how pitcher injuries have increased over the years and how badly a lot of those contracts have aged for other teams, it is hard to blame them.
With the Winter Meetings starting up today, Braves fans should start to get some clarity soon as to who Atlanta could make a push for this offseason and one name that has come up recently is Cleveland's Shane Bieber. The Guardians don't seem particularly interested in try to field the best team possible in 2024 as they deal with some revenue challenges and The Athletic's Jim Bowden pegged the Braves as a possible destination for Bieber if Cleveland does decide to move him.
While Bieber is not a sure thing, there is a pretty compelling case for Atlanta to acquire him with one big caveat. Here's a look at the case for and against the Braves trading for Shane Bieber.
Bieber has a long track record of success
Due to Bieber being banged up a bit in recent years (more on that later), fans seem to forget just how good this guy can be. In fact, it wasn't that long ago that Bieber was considered one of the best pitchers in baseball .
From 2019-2022, Bieber had three top 7 Cy Young finishes including winning it in 2020 as well as two All-Star Game appearances, a Gold Glove, and finishing fourth in the AL MVP race in 2020. Over that period of time, he averaged a 2.91 ERA while striking out 713 batters in just 588.1 innings of work. The guy has missed bats, doesn't walk hitters, gets a ton of groundballs, and his slider has consistently been one of the more valuable pitches in baseball.
Even during 2023 which was very clearly a down year for him due some issues with his elbow, he still put up a 3.80 ERA in 21 starts for a Guardians team that basically cratered in the second half of the season. Pitchers with Bieber's sort of upside just don't hit the trade market very often.
Another upside to trading for Bieber is that he's already said that he is open to signing an extension if he is moved. Atlanta certainly has to do their due diligence here, but a guy this talented who is also willing to stick around and avoid free agency after 2024 is an option they have to consider closely.