GOODYEAR, Arizona -- The most traded player in MLB modern history is right-hander Jesse Chavez. He’s been dealt 10 times.
Over the last few years, based on rumors, Shane Bieber may have challenged Chavez. Yet there he was Sunday throwing a spring-training bullpen session for the Guardians, the team that drafted him almost eight years ago.
Trades and rumors of trades are part of baseball’s commerce. They always have been and always will be.
Some players say the rumors don’t bother them. They say they don’t listen to them on MLB Nework or scroll through them on social media.
“I’ve probably said that in the past, and I know other guys have said the same thing, but it’s really hard not to (listen),” said Bieber.
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People were surprised when the Guardians didn’t trade Bieber at the end of the 2022 season after he went 13-8 with a 2.88 ERA in 200 innings. The resurgence came after a down year in 2021 when Bieber was limited to 16 starts because of a strained rotator cuff in his right shoulder.
Last season an inflamed right elbow just before the the trade deadline took him off the market. But in a pitching-rich environment this offseason, Bieber has been prominently mentioned as a trade candidate.
It’s not by accident.
The Guardians have a reputation of trading their starting pitchers once their salaries start to rise and they inch closer to free agency. CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee, Trevor Bauer, Carlos Carrasco, Cal Quantrill, Mike Clevinger and Corey Kluber bear witness to the practice.
The truth of the matter is that Bieber, in all likelihood, will be traded sometime this season. The Guardians have set a high bar for him, but it’s unlikely they’re going to let him walk into free agency without getting some kind of return.
Bieber, however, had more important things on his mind at the end of last season.
After spending 64 games on the injured list, Bieber changed his offseason routine. He went to Driveline Baseball in Scottsdale to make himself better.
The former Cy Young winner didn’t want to reinvent himself. He was looking for an upgrade.
“I think there’s value in trying something new,” said Bieber. “Whether you pick up new tools, or make pretty big changes, there’s value in trying something new.
“You expose yourself to a new stimulus. You put yourself out there to learn new things. That’s important to your growth. That was one aspect of it.”
The other aspect was Driveline’s ability to “motion capture” his delivery on video and give him feedback. Plus Scottsdale was close to his home.
“I really fell in love with the new routine,” he said. “Everything was dialed in to what I needed. I had a great offseason.”
Bieber, 28, said, with the exception of a few weekends, he spent every day of the offseason at the Driveline facility.
A few days before pitchers and catchers reported to camp in Goodyear, Driveline posted a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, showing Bieber throwing at over 93 mph. The downward trend in Bieber’s velocity since he won the Cy Young has been an ongoing concern for the Guardians and their trading partners.
“The velocity is getting there,” said Bieber. “I’m just trying to move faster down the mound. I’m trying to figure out a few things. Nothing monumental. Like I said, whether I picked up velocity or not, there’s value in trying something new.”
Bieber told the Guardians about his plan at the end of last season.
“We were closely connected,” said Chris Antonetti, president of baseball operations. “I mean, Shane communicated to us that he was going to be heading out there. We connected with the Driveline people there, so we were connected on what that would be. And then we’ve had multiple conversations with Shane since he’s returned.”
Bieber said his work at Driveline has helped his other pitches as well. To say nothing of his mental well being when it comes to the rumors.
“I stayed off social media,” he said. “It wasn’t by me saying, “I’ve got to stay off it.’ It was kind of easy for me. I was in a great routine in Scottsdale spending every day working my butt off. I felt if I put myself in a good position, the team would be in a good position as well.”
So here Bieber is, a free agent in a matter of months, still wearing a Cleveland uniform.
““I’m healthy, strong and looking to Oakland on day one,” said Bieber, referring to the season opening against the A’s on March 28. That’s where I’m at. I’m not going to change. I’m not going to waiver.
“I see no point in paying attention to any outside noise when the reality is I’m right here with this group. I’m very excited to do that.”
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