Bieber flipped to Toronto for RHP Cal Stephen
Jon Morosi and Ken Rosenthal report that the Guardians have traded Shane Bieber to the Blue Jays.
The return for the former Cy Young and All-Star Game MVP will be RHP Khal Stephen.
RHP Khal Stephen, expected to go to Cleveland in the Shane Bieber deal, is one of the biggest pop-up prospects of 2025. While his fastball tops out in the mid-90s, he’s got the sort of pitchability that Cleveland has developed with extreme success. A 2.08 ERA in 91.2 IP in 2025.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2025
Bieber threw 57 pitches in his most recent rehab outing for Akron, sitting 92-94 with his fastball with great break on everything. He looked like his old self. For Toronto, this is a major play to get top of the rotation help down the stretch as they look to bolster both their lead in the AL East and odds at home field advantage throughout the Postseason.
Khal Stephen, a 6-foot-4, 215 pound right handed pitcher, was Toronto’s second round pick out of Mississippi State in last year’s draft. As Passan eluded to above, he is one of the hottest risers in all of baseball this season, currently sitting at 80 on FanGraphs Top 100, and likely to rise across the industry soon. He is currently on the 7-day IL with a shoulder impingement, but it’s not thought to be anything serious. Stephen has been nothing short of dominant, rising three levels in his first season.
Stephen has posted a 2.06 ERA across 91.2 innings that span A-ball, High-A, and one start in Double-A. Stephen has eaten up the zone with tremendous stuff, posting a 34% whiff rate, 27.9% strikeout rate to just a 5.1% walk rate.
Stephen boasts a plus fastball sits around 93 and can touch 95, and its movement is tremendous. His heater generates anywhere from 18.9 to 20.1 inches of induced vertical break (iVB) which is elite rise. It’s paired with a plus slider and plus changeup as his main secondary offerings, with the changeup tunneling off the fastball well. Stephen also pounds the zone with his elite stuff, generating a lot of swings and misses (34% whiff rate) and quick at-bats. Stephen will step into Cleveland’s system and almost assuredly be its best pitching prospect.
I am sad. I get it, I love Bieber. He will be missed, but this return is an excellent turnout for our now former Ace.