The 2025-26 offseason has barely started and the Boston Red Sox have been linked to a litany of starting pitchers to bring their rotation a spark. One of them is Shane Bieber, in whom Boston had an interest last offseason.
But the Red Sox missed their chance to sign their former target. Bieber has opted in to his contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, per MLB insider Jon Heyman on November 4. The righty will return to Toronto for another go with the Sox's division rival, fresh off a run to the World Series, rather than taking to the free agent market for a longer deal.
Bieber's choice to remain with the Jays is similar to Trevor Story's choice to play the final two years of his contract with Boston rather than hitting the free agency market in search of a more lucrative deal. Story appreciates the Red Sox organization for sticking with him through three seasons of long-term injuries, and Bieber has similar reverence for the Blue Jays.
“A lot of intangibles. Some things that are difficult to describe,” Bieber said of the club after its World Series loss (via Keegan Matheson of MLB.com). “The grit. The perseverance. The togetherness. They’re pulling for one another. It’s not just one guy, that’s the whole clubhouse.”
Red Sox miss out on potential Shane Bieber signing as he opts to stay with Blue Jays for another season
According to Rob Bradford of WEEI, the Red Sox were the only team Bieber visited before re-signing with the Cleveland Guardians last season (they dished him to Toronto at the trade deadline). The righty is a textbook example of a Red Sox target under Craig Breslow's direction — he underwent Tommy John surgery in the 2024 season and Boston nearly signed him to rehab with the club.
The Red Sox's potential Bieber signing would've profiled similarly to their experience with Lucas Giolito. Both righties have earned Cy Young Award votes in their careers (Bieber won in 2020), they're experienced and normally durable. Giolito fell injured at the wrong time and couldn't help with the Sox's playoff run, but Bieber stayed strong for the Jays.
Bieber posted a 3.57 ERA and a 1.017 WHIP with 37 strikeouts and seven walks over 40.1innings for the Blue Jays in the regular season. He was equally successful in the postseason, where he clocked a 3.86 ERA with 18 strikeouts and six walks over 18.2 frames.
Unfortunately, the Red Sox missed out on signing a reasonably priced, experienced pitcher last offseason, when they truly had a chance. Now, Bieber will be a problem for them in a division rival's rotation.