Month: August 2025

The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired Cy Young Award winning pitcher Shane Bieber from the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for righty pitching prospect Khal Stephen, the teams announced on Thursday. Bieber signed a one-year deal with the Guardians in free agency this past offseason reportedly worth up to $10 million, which included a $16 million player option in 2026.

The Blue Jays posted on X: “OFFICIAL: We’ve acquired 2x All-Star, All-Star MVP, Cy Young Award Winner, Triple Crown Winner and Gold Glover Shane Bieber from the Guardians in exchange for RHP Khal Stephen. Welcome to the Blue Jays, Biebs!”

Bieber, 30, hasn’t appeared in an MLB game since he underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2024. The two-time All-Star, former triple-crown winner and 2020 American League Cy Young Award winner went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA over two starts last season for the Guardians before undergoing surgery. He allowed 10 hits and issued one walk over 12 innings last season.

The right-handed pitcher’s Cy Young Award campaign came during the COVID-19 pandemic shortened 2020 season. He went 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA and 122 strikeouts — leading MLB in all of those categories — over a dozen starts. Over 136 career appearances throughout his seven-year career with the Guardians (including 134 starts) he has a 62-32 record with a 3.22 ERA.

Bieber has made four rehab starts in July between the Rookie-League Arizona Complex, High-A Lake County and Double-A Akron and went 0-0 with a 1.59 ERA over four minor league appearances this year, throwing 57 pitches, and is on track to make his season debut sometime in August.

Stephen, 22, was a second-round pick by the Blue Jays in the 2024 MLB Draft. He went 9-1 with a 2.06 ERA over 18 minor league appearances this year.

Editorial credit: Conor P. Fitzgerald / Shutterstock.com

The San Diego Padres have acquired closer Mason Miller and left-handed starting pitcher JP Sears from the Oakland Athletics in a blockbuster trade deadline deal, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

In return, the Padres sent shortstop Leo De Vries — the No. 3 prospect in baseball — and right-handed pitchers Henry Baez, Braden Nett and Eduarniel Nunez to the Athletics in exchange for Sears and Miller.

The A’s posted: “The Athletics traded right-handed pitcher Mason Miller and left-handed pitcher JP Sears to the San Diego Padres for right-handed pitchers Henry Baez, Braden Nett and Eduarniel Núñez, and shortstop Leo De Vries, the club announced today.”

The 26-year-old Miller was an MLB All-Star for the Athletics in 2024, going 1-2 with a 3.76 ERA over 38 appearances so far this season with 59 strikeouts, 18 walks and 20 saves in 38 1/3 innings pitched. The three-year veteran went 2-2 with a 2.49 ERA and 28 saves over 55 appearances last season, and owns a career 3.16 ERA and earned 48 saves through his first three seasons.

Sears, 29, initially joined the Athletics through a 2022 trade from the New York Yankees.  He went 7-9 with a 4.95 ERA over his first 22 starts this season, and went 29-39 with a 4.48 ERA through the first 103 appearances of his career.

De Vries, 18, hit .241 with 19 home runs, 84 RBIs and 21 stolen bases over his first 157 minor league appearances.

Nett, 23, went 5-4 with a 3.39 ERA over 17 starts this season for the Double-A San Antonio Missions. He went 12-8 with a 3.79 ERA over his first 54 minor league appearances.

Baez, 22, went 4-2 with a 1.96 ERA over his first 20 starts this season for the Missions. He went 19-15 with a 3.13 ERA over the first 88 minor league appearances of his career.

Nunez, 26, went 0-0 with a 3.86 ERA over four appearances this season for the Padres. He went 25-23 with a 3.89 ERA over the first 219 minor league appearances of his career.

Editorial credit: Conor P. Fitzgerald / Shutterstock.com