Bieber exercises player option

[Eat My Shatkins]

5 minutes ago, Funky said:

Considering he would’ve had a $4 million buyout, he would’ve only needed to make $12 million a year to match.  Dirt cheap

You would think at some point this winter they will announce an extension. Seems crazy to take this option when he clearly could have went to free agency and gotten at worst 2x$25million AAV or something like that.

[Terminator]

BA predicted 5 years/150 million lol

[Jays24]

He could have easily gotten a 1 + 1 at a much higher AAV with a player option type deal if he really wanted to bet on himself.   Not to mention that Bieber will have a qualifying offer attached to him now so it would slightly hurt his value next offseason too. 

Great news for us!!! Lets keep stacking up the roster to take it next year.  Gonna place my Jays future bets again now :) 

[glory]

Bieber could have opted out, taken the $4M, went back to the Jays and said "I'll take a one year deal with you", and still easily cleared $16M. He's doing the Jays a solid here, so I suspect an extension is either being talked about now or will be at some point. 

[Eat My Shatkins]

Man, what a tidy piece of business to get taken care of before the off-season has even gotten going.

A potential top of the rotation arm for $16 million. 

Great start. Now go get Skubal.

[hanton]

A sign of things to come (bo?).

Gausman

Beiber

Yesavage

Berrios

Bassitt?

 

might need another stud starter

[harvey16]

2 minutes ago, hanton said:

A sign of things to come (bo?).

Gausman

Beiber

Yesavage

Berrios

Bassitt?

Can't see Bassitt being resigned unless he comes back in a reliever role. He's not worth $20M+ entering his age 37 season. He had a mediocre 2025 season. Let's face it, he's been declining in the last 2 years.

[hanton]

1 minute ago, harvey16 said:

Can't see Bassitt being resigned unless he comes back in a reliever role. He's not worth $20M+ entering his age 37 season. He had a mediocre 2025 season. Let's face it, he's been declining in the last 2 years.

true, didn't take the time to think it through....it's why I edited my post and added we need to add a stud starter

[hanton]

any rumors on what it would take to get Skubal?  nimmala ++  we don't have much

[harvey16]

4 minutes ago, hanton said:

any rumors on what it would take to get Skubal?  nimmala ++  we don't have much

At this point I don't think we need to push hard or give up top end prospects for Skubal. Heard he's not the greatest clubhouse guy either. I'd be happy with someone like Cease that we don't need to trade for and give up prospects.

[hanton]

The Dodgers of the North ?   haha 

[ComeTogether]

The ride was so good and close, he wants another shot with a full recovery from the surgery. 

[bronson44]

14 minutes ago, hanton said:

any rumors on what it would take to get Skubal?  nimmala ++  we don't have much

It would probably start with Yesavage plus plus

[Eat My Shatkins]

Obviously, Bieber knowing he'll be pitching in a contract year with the best defense in baseball behind him and a legit chance to win factored in huge here.

[hanton]

3 minutes ago, bronson44 said:

It would probably start with Yesavage plus plus

Skubal is a true ace but that would be a difficult move to make

[Eat My Shatkins]

The only way the Jays trade Yesavage is if they've had a good look from the inside under the hood and don't think his performance is sustainable. Kid has ice in his veins. An MLB regular season is going to be a walk in the park for him probably after having nothing but pressure filled starts to this point.

[L54]

2 minutes ago, SeranthonySantander said:

Doesn't strike me as a workers comp fraud type of guy but I guess you never know.

But it doesn't matter, even if he was hurt, he would be allowed to take that option.

Right 

If he had his foot amputated he’d still take the option. He probably gets 20M for one year for sure as a FA so him taking the option is 100% a decision made by him saying there’s nowhere else he’d rather be. Pretty crazy tbh we finished last in the AL East last year 

[thatoneguy]

This is a great and unexpected start to the offseason. Jays should still dip their feet into looking for other starters (preferably front of rotation), but the search is definitely less urgent now with Bieber staying for a bargain.

Can't underestimate the role of success and hunger to win in player's decisions.

[Spanky__99]

3 hours ago, G-Snarls said:

Bieber for 16 and Greene off the books is great financially 

And 4M of that contract was a sunk cost on the buyout, they essentially got him for 12M, this blows my mind.

[Spanky__99]

2 hours ago, glory said:

Bieber could have opted out, taken the $4M, went back to the Jays and said "I'll take a one year deal with you", and still easily cleared $16M. He's doing the Jays a solid here, so I suspect an extension is either being talked about now or will be at some point. 

💯

[Spanky__99]

3 hours ago, BTS said:

Between this, Flaherty opting in, and the Cubs cutting Imanaga - signs of a soft FA market?

I think so, with the no CBA deal yet, maybe it craters the market. Hmm...

[Spanky__99]

I'll leave this right here...

 

3. Shane Bieber, RHP

Projected Contract: 5 years, $150M

There’s an argument to be made that Bieber is the best available starting pitcher in this year’s class. He doesn’t possess the top-shelf stuff quality of Valdez and Cease, but his on-field performance has perhaps more upside than either.

The key metric for Bieber is fastball velocity. During the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Bieber’s velocity dipped to 91.3 mph, and his strikeout rate plummeted. Coming back from surgery this season, Bieber proved that his velocity was almost all the way back to where it was when he started his career, averaging 92.6 mph. With a full, healthy offseason, he very likely could look like the pitcher he was in 2019-2021—a dominant strikeout artist and Cy Young Award winner.

That’s the optimistic scenario in which Bieber fully recaptures his velocity and challenges for Cy Youngs. In the pessimistic scenario, in which Bieber’s velocity returns to 2022-2023 levels, you get a pitcher with 3.25 ERA, which is right in line with his career ERA of 3.24—better than either of the two pitchers listed before him.

Bieber likely won’t get the biggest contract this offseason, but his combination of floor and ceiling is unmatched in this free agent class.

[Joltin Joe]

Great for Jays. Bieber is good starter for 16 million. He must be betting on himself. Robbie Ray did same. Won Cy Young the next year 

[Omar]

2 hours ago, Spanky__99 said:

I think so, with the no CBA deal yet, maybe it craters the market. Hmm...

This is what I don't understand. There is a distinct possibility of a work stoppage at the end of next year if they don't get something hammered out or if the words " salary cap" are brought up.

What benefit is there for him to do this?  Perhaps he has a handshake deal with the Jays for an extension in place? Perhaps the wife factor? 

Yeah the clubhouse and facilities are great, but damn. 

So now that we are loaded up with RH starters Atkins needs to pull the trigger on a lefty to round out the rotation.  Ranger Saurez come on down!  Please make it happen Ross. 

[Angrioter]

At least we got something positive out of Will Smith's home run.

Bieber feels like he owes us something. Atkins should take advantage of Shane's generosity and sign him for five years.

[Spanky__99]

20 minutes ago, Omar said:

This is what I don't understand. There is a distinct possibility of a work stoppage at the end of next year if they don't get something hammered out or if the words " salary cap" are brought up.

What benefit is there for him to do this?  Perhaps he has a handshake deal with the Jays for an extension in place? Perhaps the wife factor? 

Yeah the clubhouse and facilities are great, but damn. 

So now that we are loaded up with RH starters Atkins needs to pull the trigger on a lefty to round out the rotation.  Ranger Saurez come on down!  Please make it happen Ross. 

I think I just pee'd a little, I'd love to get him, Mr. Consistency himself.

[jaysblue]

2 hours ago, Joltin Joe said:

Great for Jays. Bieber is good starter for 16 million. He must be betting on himself. Robbie Ray did same. Won Cy Young the next year 

Will bet a couple of bucks on Bieber for winning the AL Cy Young next season. 

[Hipfan]

Shocked and elated at this news! A great start to the offseason and hopefully more great news follows. 

[Laika]

This is wild. 

As others have said, maybe evidence that there is traction on an extension 

[Perfect Game]

Gotta say I'm surprised at such great news. I think it speaks to the culture of the organization as a whole. Bassit mentioned in the post game it was the best organization he's played in including the job the FO did making the wives gel together. It's taken awhile but it looks like the FO is committed to building something really special here.