Like so many players in the Blue Jays clubhouse in the aftermath of Saturday’s gut-punch of a Game 7 loss in the World Series, it was clear that Shane Bieber didn’t want to leave.
And now, the former Cy Young Award winner and potential ace of any pitching staff he throws for, Bieber isn’t going anywhere.
The veteran right hander has activated his player option to remain with the team for the 2026 season.
It’s a solid immediate bit of business for the Jays front office, led by general manager Ross Atkins, tasked with the difficult work of running back a team as close to possible as the recent edition for a 2026 season in which there will be significant expectations.
So let’s break down the decision to remain with the Jays and Bieber’s reasoning for it.
WHY TORONTO?
Bieber fell for the city and the team almost immediately after being acquired at the July 31, a sentiment he wasn’t shy about repeatedly sharing publicly.
Now it appears he meant every word of it, not that there was any reason to question the comments of a player who seems to be a stand-up dude.
I thought Bieber was particularly eloquent in voicing those sentiments when he spoke with us last week in Los Angeles.
“Obviously the first time I’ve ever been traded, so I didn’t know what to expect,” Bieber said at Dodger Stadium. “Ultimately I feel like the organization, the families within it, my teammates, their families, have helped my wife and I acclimate better than I have expected.
“It’s been an absolute pleasure.”
Part of that pleasure was the teammates, a fondness many have described and was evident on Saturday night. Bieber, like many of his fellow Jays, worked the room, beer in hand, consoling each other and talking about what might have been.
And just three days after it ended, he can shift his talk to the future tense.
WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH THE DEAL?
Bieber will earn US$16 million, as the completion of his deal with the Cleveland Guardians, a deal that was always his option to kick in.
Nothing prevents the Jays from extending him beyond 2026 and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the team opted to do this.
For next season, he slots into a starting rotation that for now is likely to include Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage and Jose Berrios, who missed the entire postseason while recovering from an elbow injury.
A former Cy Young Award winner, Bieber recovered from Tommy John surgery in 2024 and was working his way back to the big leagues at the time of the trade.
In his seven regular-season starts, Bieber had a solid 3.57 ERA and made five postseason appearances, the notable blemish occurring when he came out of the bullpen to pitch the 11th inning in Game 7 of the World Series and gave up the game-winning home run to the Dodgers Will Smith.
From the time he joined the Jays, Bieber connected instantly with his new team and thrived on the environment in Toronto through the team’s spirited run through September and October.
WHAT IS THE UPSIDE?
The Blue Jays have increasingly become a more attractive destination for free agents but there has been no greater advertisement for what the franchise has to offer than the spirited run to the World Series and the victory that was two outs close.
With players such as Bieber committing to the Jays – and spurning rivals such as the New York Yankees who likely would have been suitors for Bieber – Toronto and the Jays continue to be a spot players sure seem like they want to be.
“I feel like a lot of credit has to go to the Toronto Blue Jays and how easy they made that move,” Bieber said of his near immediate appreciation of the first switch of franchises in his career. “Especially just going from being in Cleveland for the last nine years and working my way back to the Major Leagues post Tommy John (surgery) and having all of that happen at the end of July.
“It was a whirlwind, but looking back they made it as easy as possible and now we find ourselves in the World Series. I couldn’t be happier.”
MORE FROM BIEBER
On the much-discussed Jays chemistry: “It’s a really special group and I’m grateful to be part of it. This group is unlike anything I’ve ever been a part of and that’s a sentiment we all share personally. There’s a lot of love in that room.”
On what teammates meant the most: “All of ’em. Obviously there’s a lot of former Cleveland guys that I’ve played with in the past, so that part of it made it pretty easy and smooth of a transition. But everybody’s been fantastic.”
On what made these Jays successful: “Nobody ever wavers, nobody ever hesitates. It’s the same group of guys every day that continue to put the work in, continue to compete, continue to rely on each other. And it’s an absolute pleasure to play for them.”
His wife Kara’s view (as shared on her Instagram account): “I’ll never forget how Shane and I would be almost giddy after games, just talking about how lucky we felt to be surrounded by such incredible humans. I’d tell him how amazing the women were, and he’d smile and say the same about the guys. We felt so welcomed from the moment we got to Canada. It’s something we’ll cherish forever.”
And for at least another year.