Yes, the Cleveland Guardians flipped reliever Paul Sewald to the Detroit Tigers on Thursday’s Deadline Day, but they only made one truly impact deal: they traded starter Shane Bieber to the Toronto Blue Jays.
Bieber had been with the Guardians for all his career, won a Cy Young with the team, made All-Star squads, failed in the postseason, then surged and became an October hero in 2022, and always gave everything he had on the mound.
He also got hurt in early 2024, and the rehab process has extended into July of 2025.
He is a minor league start or two away from returning, though, but he’ll now do it with the AL East-leading Blue Jays.
In return, the Guardians were able to get one of the Jays’ top pitching prospects: Khal Stephen.
The 2024 second-rounder ranked fifth in Toronto’s system and is seventh in the Guardians’.
Chris Antonetti, the Guardians’ president of baseball operations, offered his opinion of a pitcher who immediately slots in as the Guardians’ best pitching prospect.
“There’s lots to like. First and foremost, he’s a big, physical starting pitcher with a good frame. He’s got a very deep arsenal of pitches. We think he’s a guy that’s capable of not only logging innings at the ML level, but pitching pretty effectively,” Antonetti said.
Antonetti on Khal Stephen: "There's lots to like. First and foremost, he's a big, physical starting pitcher with a good frame. He's got a very deep arsenal of pitches. We think he's a guy that's capable of not only logging innings at the ML level, but pitching pretty effectively.
— Chris AssenheimerC-T (@CAwesomeheimer) July 31, 2025
Stephen has excellent stuff, a good feel for pitching, and a deep arsenal.
Between Low-A, High-A, and Double-A, he boasts a 2.06 ERA in 91.2 innings this year, with a whopping 99 strikeouts against just 18 walks.
Right now, he is on the injured list, but the issue is mild and he is expected back relatively soon.
2027 is his most likely estimated time for arrival, but there is a chance he is up there contributing in Cleveland next year.
For half a season of Bieber, getting Stephen feels like finding a treasure at the bottom of the sea.
NEXT: Front Office Breaks Silence On Steven Kwan Trade Talk
