Getty Gerrit Cole's injury status could lead to disaster for the Yankees. Could Shane Bieber be an option for Brian Cashman?
It’s only March 13, but the New York Yankees are already dealing with injuries. Outfielder Aaron Judge has had an MRI and infielder Oswald Peraza is shut down for two months. Most importantly, ace Gerrit Cole is getting his elbow evaluated. If Cole has to miss significant time, should general manager Brian Cashman chat with the Cleveland Guardians about a possible Shane Bieber trade?
Adam Weinrib of FanSided’s Yanks Go Yard presented that as a potential “desperation move” for the Bombers. “The Yankees would much rather get some regular-season data on Bieber’s reshaped pitches before diving all the way in,” he said. “But there are plenty of things they’d ‘rather’ be doing in March than swimming around this pool in any capacity. Would Chase Hampton/Will Warren, plus Everson Pereira, plus Ben Rice be too expensive an offering? Is there any chance they could tempt Cleveland into including Emmanuel Clase, too? No trade conversation is too frivolous for a world without Cole.”
The 2023 American League Cy Young winner underwent an MRI on March 11 to inspect his pitching elbow, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. It’s concerning to the Yankees for obvious reasons. Cole has been a durable ace for the majority of his career. Outside of the pandemic-shortened season, he’s started at least 30 games every year since 2017.
Hoch also reported that Cole will get multiple opinions on his ailment before a final decision is made.
Bieber Is Just 1 Potential Solution for the Yankees
New York could turn several directions if a move to boost rotation depth is necessary. Oft-rumored trade target Dylan Cease might be Cashman’s preferred route right now. A March 12 report from USA Today’s Bob Nightengale noted the Yankees have re-engaged the Chicago White Sox on trade talks for the right-hander.
Cease has remained in the Windy City because of Chicago’s high asking price. The Yankees initially cut things off because they weren’t interested in including top outfield prospect Spencer Jones in a deal. New York’s latest trade proposal still didn’t include Jones, per Nightengale.
While discussing the Yankees’ current situation, Jon Heyman of the New York Post mentioned Miami Marlins hurler Jesus Luzardo as another potential trade candidate. He also threw cold water on the idea that free agents Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery could be realistic options.
Can He Rediscover His Cy Young Form in 2024?
Bieber put together an incredible run of elite production for Cleveland between 2019 and 2022. Across 93 appearances (92 starts), the right-hander posted a 43-21 record with a 2.91 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 713 strikeouts in 588.1 innings. This period included two All-Star Game selections, one Gold Glove Award and three top-10 finishes in AL Cy Young Award voting.
The 2020 campaign was memorable for Bieber because he took home the Cy Young. He went 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 122 strikeouts in 77.1 frames. Bieber led the league in wins, ERA and strikeouts to also win the pitching triple crown.
He didn’t necessarily have a bad season in 2023, but it wasn’t up to the standard he’s set with prior performances. Bieber went 6-6 with a 3.80 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 107 strikeouts in 128 innings (21 starts). His average fastball velocity also ended up at 91.6 mph. That’s a far cry from the 94.3 mph he produced in 2020. He spent the offseason training at Driveline with hopes of rebuilding his velocity and endurance. The results have looked good so far.
Now, it’ll be a matter of whether he can put it all together on the mound in 2024 before he hits free agency in November.