It won't be surprising if Shane Bieber has thrown his last pitch for the Cleveland Guardians. Shane Bieber has one year left on his contract after the 2023 season. The Guardians pitcher was in trade rumors before an IL stint that started in mid-July ended his chances of being dealt in the summer. There's a good chance the rumors will pick up again in the offseason.

Bieber returned from the IL and made two starts before the Guardians' 2023 season ended. He gave up one run in six innings while striking out seven batters during his last outing.

When Bieber is healthy, he's one of the best starters in the American League. The right-hander won the 2020 AL Cy Young award. Last year, Bieber posted a 2.88 ERA and finished seventh in the voting. If the Guardians make Bieber available, it's likely that several teams will pursue a trade for him.

“Yeah, I think I'm in a unique spot right now, having been shut down for a few weeks and built up to this point,” Bieber said, via The Akron Beacon Journal. “There's a few discussions to be had in the next few days on what my program's going to look like if I continue my ascension in terms of workload, or if we de-load.

“I'm going to let the cards fall where they may right now. I think the best option for me is to look internally and do what I can do to improve myself and stay on the right tack, both mechanically and as a competitor, moving into next year.”

The Guardians usually trade their best players before they can hit free agency. Jose Ramirez was an exception, signing a five-year, $124 million extension last year to stay in Cleveland.