5 moves the Red Sox should make when the MLB lockout ends

Red Sox Trade Target: RHP Shane Bieber

Shane Bieber won the AL Cy Young award during the shortened 2020 season, pacing the league with eight wins, 122 strikeouts, and a 1.63 ERA. In 2021, Bieber was named to the All-Star team for the second time, but only made two appearances after the break while dealing with a shoulder strain that forced him to miss most of the second half. He finished the season at 7-4 with a 3.17 ERA in 16 starts.

Bieber has been one of the best pitchers in baseball when healthy over the last three years. But with Francisco Lindor long gone and Jose Ramirez deemed Bleacher Report’s player most likely to be traded, the Guardians could consider fully pressing the reset button by maximizing the return they could receive for Bieber.

Bieber is entering his age 27 season and is under team control until 2025. He will make $5.5M in 2022 and is eligible for arbitration the following two years. His contract is one of the best in baseball when healthy, and if the Guardians are truly considering moving on from Ramirez, they could also be persuaded to part ways with Bieber for the right return.

What would a Shane Bieber trade return look like?

Cleveland could reasonably ask for a cost controlled major league talent, an MLB top 25 prospect, an organizational top 10 prospect, and possibly more to move on from Bieber and his team friendly contract. And with the aforementioned work that Bloom has done to overhaul the Red Sox farm system and depth of talent, he may have the pieces to make a trade happen while holding on to his most prized possessions.

A Red Sox package for Shane Bieber could look like this: Alex Verdugo , Jarren Duran (No. 4 prospect), Jay Groome (No. 8 prospect) and Victor Santos (No. 32 Prospect).

Verdugo is a fan favorite. He’s a solid corner outfielder who has proven he can hit for average and knows how to win. Duran is the Red Sox’ No. 4 prospect on SoxProspects.com, and the No. 25 prospect in baseball per MLB.com. He has elite speed with plus power and projects to be an everyday centerfielder with a high ceiling at the big-league level. Groome is the Red Sox’ No. 8 prospect on SoxProspects.com. He’s battled injuries during his young pro career (he had Tommy John surgery in 2018), but a healthy 2021 showed that the potential is still there after finishing the season at AA Portland with a 2.30 ERA in three starts with the Sea Dogs. Santos is the Red Sox’ No. 34 prospect on SoxProspects.com. At 21 years old, he currently projects to be a depth starter at the big league level.

Why the trade makes sense for both teams:

Bloom added pitching depth before the MLB lockout went into effect, but the need for a front-end starter to accompany Sale and Eovaldi still exists. Bloom has also positioned the organization well to be able trade the likes of a top prospect in Duran and young arms like Groome and Santos. And if previously mentioned moves in this article take place – namely the signings of Schwarber and Suzuki – Verdugo becomes expendable and could be the centerpiece of a trade to address other needs, like adding a former Cy Young winner.

For the Guardians, all signs point to them moving on from Ramirez after the Lindor trade last off-season. And if that’s the case, Bieber is the next logical piece to be moved as they enter full-on rebuild mode. And with his cost-effective contract over the next three seasons, Bieber’s value on the trade market will only decrease as he gets closer to free agency. Moving Bieber at the same time they move Ramirez would expedite their rebuild process.