With the MLB trade deadline coming up on Aug. 3, it is a good time to see how the activity last year paid off for the Cleveland Guardians. Trailing the Detroit Tigers by nine games in the AL Central at the time, the Guardians sent former AL Cy Young winner Shane Bieber to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for pitching prospect Khal Stephen.
It seemed like a savvy move for Cleveland, which could not have harbored any realistic hopes of contention and made sure to get a highly regarded talent in return for a potential contract-option free agent who was recovering from Tommy John surgery. No one could have known how it would work out for both teams.
The Guardians staged a historic comeback to overtake the Tigers and win the AL Central. The Blue Jays went on to reach the World Series, which they lost in an epic Game 7 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
With that benefit of hindsight, the Guardians have been given a noteworthy grade for that trade with the Blue Jays, earning an A-minus from Bleacher Report.
“On Cleveland’s side of things, [Khal] Stephen was one of the most noteworthy prospects moved at the deadline. On the unexpected plus side, even without Bieber, the Guardians went 34-20 down the stretch and stole the AL Central crown from the Tigers. And a big part of that was Parker Messick, whose MLB debut in late August probably wouldn’t have happened if Bieber had been there blocking his path to a chance,” Kerry Miller wrote.
Bieber had been sidelined since April 2024 because of his elbow injury, and the right-hander never appeared in another game for Cleveland when he was traded on July 31. He went on to post a 4-2 record in seven regular season starts for the Blue Jays, and then made four postseason starts, winning two before taking the World Series Game 7 loss in relief by allowing a run in the top of the 11th inning.
Messick was promoted to make his MLB debut on Aug. 20 as Cleveland went to an unorthodox six-man rotation. The left-hander was 3-1 in his seven starts, helping the Guardians to an unlikely playoff berth. This year, he is 8-6 with a 2.59 ERA that earned his first All-Star Game selection.
Stephen is ranked as the Guardians’ No. 10 overall prospect by MLB.com. The right-hander has made 12 starts for Double-A Akron this season.
How the 23-year-old fares if he makes it to the major leagues could be the final exam for this noteworthy trade.
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