Shane Bieber Reportedly Eyed By Dodgers amid Guardians, MLB Trade Rumors

The Los Angeles Dodgers have reportedly held trade talks with the Cleveland Guardians regarding starting pitcher Shane Bieber ahead of Thursday's MLB deadline, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network.

The Dodgers have been one of the teams most heavily linked to a number of players this week, as the team has gone just 5-6 since the All-Star Break and continues to battle through a number of injuries.

There has been significant buzz regarding a potential Bieber trade:

There would be a certain irony to the Dodgers—a team best by injuries to its starting rotation over the past two seasons—adding a player coming off Tommy John surgery, of course.

The 30-year-old Bieber hasn't pitched since April of last season, making two starts in 2024. The two-time All-Star and 2020 Cy Young winner also dealt with elbow injuries in 2023 that limited him to 21 starts, though he was fantastic in his last full season in 2022, finishing 13-8 with a 2.88 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 198 strikeouts in 200 innings.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, have been stricken by injuries to their starting rotation yet again. While Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been fantastic, Tyler Glasnow has made just nine starts, Roki Sasaki has only made eight starts, Shohei Ohtani has only made six starts and Blake Snell has made only two starts (and none since early April).

The good news for the Dodgers has been the return of Glasnow in July and Ohtani in June (although the latter is only being given a few innings at a time on a pitch count). Sasaki and Snell are also progressing in their rehab.

Still, it wouldn't be a shock to see the Dodgers add more starting pitching, even if the bullpen might ultimately prove a bigger need once the rotation is fully healthy. Adding Bieber would be the sort of splash the Dodgers have routinely made in recent season.