The Toronto Blue Jays’ first move of the 2025 offseason was bringing back starter Shane Bieber. Just days after losing the World Series, Bieber opted in to his $16 million player option with the Blue Jays for the 2026 season.

It was the first step in what would be a very successful offseason for the Blue Jays, but it would not translate into a successful season for Bieber or the Blue Jays. As such, the Blue Jays dropped from first in the AL East in 2025 to last in 2026 and have been watching the postseason from home.

Almost a year on, a familiar question faces for the Blue Jays: should they bring back Shane Bieber?

At least from his side, there’s interest in a reunion. Bieber made it clear that he would like to be in Toronto.

“I would love to be here,” Bieber told Gregor Chisholm of the Toronto Star at the end of the season. “I know that’s not just my sentiment, but my family’s as well. At the same time, I’ve been in this game long enough to know that sometimes you don’t always have that decision, so we’ll just have to see what happens.”

Bieber wants to be here, and it would make sense for the Blue Jays to try to bring him back. For one thing, he brings continuity. The Blue Jays already know how he fits into the team.

On top of that, Bieber would round out the Blue Jays’ rotation well. At the moment, the Blue Jays’ projected rotation includes Dylan Cease, José Soriano, Trey Yesavage, Cody Ponce, and Spencer Arrighetti. That’s already a good starting point, but adding Bieber in place of Arrighetti would be an improvement.

The biggest concern surrounding Bieber is his health. He didn’t make his first start in 2026 until June 23 due to right forearm inflammation. He made 11 starts with the Blue Jays before he was placed back on the injured list in August with right teres major inflammation, which ultimately ended his season.

Bieber has only made 30 or more starts in a season twice over his career (2019 and 2022). His Cy Young-winning season was during a shortened 2020 season, so he only made 12 starts. He also made just two starts in 2024 before undergoing Tommy John surgery. He was rehabbing from the surgery when he was traded to the Blue Jays from the Cleveland Guardians in 2025, so he didn’t make his first start with Toronto until August 22.

The Blue Jays suffered heavily from injuries to the rotation in 2026. While Ponce will return for 2027, it remains to be seen how he’ll perform after missing a full season due to an ACL sprain. Bowden Francis and José Berríos also missed the full season, so there are big question marks about how they’ll fit into the Blue Jays’ plan for next year. Bieber’s potential return adds depth, but he’d be one of many starters with health concerns.

In addition to his injury concerns, Bieber’s performance in 2026 was mixed. He posted a 4.37 ERA with a 5-2 record. Some of that is driven by a slow start when he first returned, as he did have some better performances later in the season. His innings per start were the lowest of his career (5.1) but still just above the league average (5.0).

Despite concerns about his health and performance, it still makes sense to re-sign Bieber. His struggles over the last few years, both with injuries and play, mean that the Blue Jays could probably sign him for a reasonable price. This not only adds starting pitching depth, which there’s never enough of, but it also gives the Blue Jays flexibility elsewhere. If the Blue Jays save on Bieber, they may have more money to spend on a bat, such as Randy Arozarena or Gleyber Torres.

If the Blue Jays move on from Bieber, they’ll still need to add starting depth, but it may come with a higher price tag.

There are obvious concerns with re-signing Bieber. He’s injury-prone and hasn’t shown his best pitching since coming to Toronto. However, he could be a cost-effective way to maintain depth in the rotation, which could help the Blue Jays build in other areas. Any deal should likely be short-term due to the injury concerns, but he could be a useful tool in 2027.

He’s also shown an interest in staying with the Blue Jays and provides leadership in the clubhouse. With George Springer and Max Scherzer likely not returning, the Blue Jays could use a veteran presence in the dugout. Bieber has that.

In an interview with Lindsay Dunn at the end of the regular season, Brett Bateman credited Bieber, along with Springer and Scherzer, for helping him adjust to life in MLB.

“I think guys like Bieber, Scherzer, and Springer did an unbelievable job of making me just feel included and allowed me to do whatever I can to try and help the team win games,” Bateman said.

Bieber’s time with the Blue Jays has not been smooth sailing, but he has brought a lot of value to the team, and he has more to offer.

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