‘Happy to get that call’: Bieber ready for another year with Guards

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It’s official: Shane Bieber will be back in a Guardians uniform in 2025.

When the news broke last week, we took a look at why this deal makes sense for both Bieber and the Guardians. Cleveland needs starting pitching help and Bieber needs a place he’s familiar with to finish his rehab — one that he’s comfortable with to prove to the baseball world that Tommy John surgery isn’t going to diminish what he’s able to do on the rubber. If he comes back better than ever, he can become a free agent again next winter and sign the hefty contract elsewhere that he thought he’d be signing this offseason if he hadn’t gotten injured.

As self-explanatory as it seemed to piece together, it’s much easier to go directly to the source to get all the background information.

Bieber met with local media on Zoom this week to talk about this reunion and his hopes moving forward. Here’s what he had to say.

Why did you choose Cleveland?

Bieber: It was obviously a mutual decision and a lot of trust on both ends. Just all encompassing. There’s a lot of intangibles that come with sticking in Cleveland, and the people and the process and the relationships that developed and were nurtured over the last six, seven, eight years are really impressive and hard to leave behind. So I was happy to get that call and to come to an agreement.

How much did your history with this organization and the medical staff, specifically, weigh into this decision?

Bieber: It was definitely a factor that I considered and weighed heavily. … The relationships, the development staff, the coaching staff, my teammates, having continuity and familiarity in those realms I feel like can prove beneficial not only to me but my family and everybody really involved. So that was big for me to feel confident in my rehab where I’m at right now, but nobody knows me as well as Cleveland does and vice versa, so I’m happy to be continuing with them.

Where are you in your throwing program?

Bieber: I’m at 90 feet, two sets, 25 [throws]. I’m feeling really good.

It was reported that you turned down bigger offers elsewhere. Were you strongly considering going to another team?

Bieber: You got to look at everything as a realistic possibility, and I had plenty of great meetings and beneficial and progressive meetings with other ballclubs. … Ultimately Cleveland made the call and I was happy to receive it and come to terms, and so I’m happy with where I’m at. My family’s ecstatic. It was very clearly the right decision for not only myself, but my family, and we’re excited to continue it.

In the small sample size you had pitching this season, is there anything you learned that you’re looking forward to building off of?

Bieber: I did make some adjustments last offseason. I felt great and I thought I was past my previous elbow injury. Ultimately, I figured I kind of had a failing ligament and had to address it surgically, but I did make some adjustments that got me to a spot where I was having fun competing again, reading swings and borderline getting a little too confident with my sequences and having fun with it. … I know when I get back out there, I’m going to return to form extremely quickly and I’m going to have fun doing it.

So it’s provided a lot of perspective, and it was a hard season this year for me and my family, but it was a great one. You guys probably heard we’re expecting a baby and it was a season full of growth and I’m very excited to continue that into 2025.

When do you think you can be back in the Major League rotation?

Bieber: I’m pushing, pushing, pushing. I feel great. I haven’t skipped a beat. When I ask for a date, they don’t even give me a date. So there’s a long way to go. And as hard as it is, I just try and take it one day at a time, one week at a time. That’s what I’m doing right now and continue to progress through my throwing progression, and I think as long as I do that, I’ll be in a good spot.