Shane Bieber is headed back to Cleveland.
The right-handed starter and the Guardians agreed to a one-year contract with a player option for 2026 on Friday. According to the Post's Jon Heyman.
Bieber will make $10 million in 2025 with a $16 million option for next year.
The deal includes a $4 million buyout, meaning he will earn $14 million next season and could become a free agent next offseason.
Heyman added that Bieber turned down more money. To remain with the Guardians from other teams.
Bieber started just two games in 2024 and underwent Tommy John surgery in April.
He is expected to return to a major league mound midway through the 2025 season.
Although injuries plagued him throughout his seven-year career, Bieber proved to be one of the best pitchers in baseball when healthy.
Since his sophomore season in 2019, Bieber's 3.02 ERA ranks sixth in the majors among pitchers with at least 600 innings pitched on the mound.
The 29-year-old hurler is a two-time All-Star and has finished in the top 10 in American League Cy Young voting three times.
Bieber earned the award after posting an MLB-best 1.63 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 77 1/3 innings during the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season.
The Guardians were a bit of a surprise since Beaver missed most of the season, but they won the AL Central Division and advanced to the ALCS before losing to the Yankees in five games.
Bieber is probably the biggest player to depart during the winter MLB free agency period, other than Blake Snell, who signed a five-year, $182 million contract with the Dodgers in late November.
