The Cleveland Guardians lost one of their best players in 2025. Trading Shane Bieber was a big blow, although it may have been a necessary evil.
With the talented hurler most likely leaving the team in free agency, they had no choice but to send him to the Toronto Blue Jays. At least, they landed an elite prospect in return.
With that in mind, the fans and all analysts are eager to know what they intend to do with Khal Stephen.
According to a report by team insider Paul Hoynes, the Guardians are still on the fence about whether to give him an extended look earlier in the season or not:
“Stephen had a right shoulder impingement at the time of the trade, but the Guardians said he was healthy by the end of last season. When asked recently if he could be invited to big league camp in spring training, the Guardians said they were still discussing the matter. MLB.com currently ranks him sixth on Cleveland’s prospect list. He was Toronto’s second-round pick in 2024,” Hoynes wrote.
Stephen is back to full strength, so that shouldn’t be an issue. However, he’s still quite young, and there should be no rush with him.
The Guardians have usually been extremely patient with their prospects, sometimes to a fault. That should continue to be the case with someone like Khal Stephen.
Of course, the talent and physical tools are there, and they will be wise to give him an opportunity to dip his toes and prove what he can do. Those will be some valuable reps for his development.
Then again, it’s not like they need him to pan out right away.
Their rotation should be just fine for the time being, and they must be careful not to try to put more on his plate than he can bite right now. That will be a situation to keep a close eye on.
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