For Guardians’ Shane Bieber no snow, no extension, but another opening day start
SEATTLE -- There will be another opening day (night) start for Shane Bieber, but there will be no contract extension and (hopefully) no snow.
As Bieber pointed out, if it does snow Thursday night in Seattle for the season opener, they can close the roof at T-Mobile Park.
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“It’s a great honor to pitch on opening day,” said Bieber, before the Guardians worked out at T-Mobile Park on Wednesday morning. “It’s an opportunity to get the season started on the right foot.
“It’s an opporunity to show what this team has done through spring training and the offseason. It’s a big deal. It’s something I’ve cherished in the past and will continue to cherish.”
This will be Bieber’s fourth consecutive opening day start. He replaced Corey Kluber in that role after Kluber was traded following the 2019 season. Kluber, a two-time Cy Young winner, made five consecutive opening day starts for Cleveland.
“Going back to when we traded Kluber, Biebs has taken that mantle of leading the staff,” said manager Terry Francona. “When you think about it, he only had a couple of years (in the big leagues).
“It probably wasn’t fair, but he had all those traits and characteristics. He’s a really good guy to anchor the staff. ... We’re fortunate and we know it.”
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Bieber is 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA (four runs in 14 2/3 innings) in his last three opening day starts. He’s faced Kansas City twice and the Tigers once.
In his first two openers, Bieber struck out 26 batters in 12 innings, while walking four and allowing three earned runs.
The April 1 opener in 2021 was played at Comerica Park in an intermittent snowstorm. Bieber and Cleveland lost, 3-2.
“I remember a lot of snow,” said Bieber when asked about his opening day memories. “This is the first time I’ve opened the season in Seattle and I’m looking forward to it. We’ve got a roof over this place so it’s safe to say there will be no snow.”
The Guardians have reached agreement on a seven-year, $106 million extension with second baseman Andres Gimenez. They are in negotiations with other players as well, but one of them isn’t Bieber.
“No,” said Bieber when asked if there would be an extension with his name on it.
After his last spring start, Bieber was asked what factors a player determines if he’s ready to sign an extension.
“The list goes on,” said Bieber. “It’s a hard question to answer. Ultimately, I think for myself and everybody it just comes down to fairness. There’s a lot of words you can throw out there, but that’s the most important one.
“It’s not overzealous one way or the other. It’s just comps (comparable contracts) and fairness. That’s all you can really ask for.”
Bieber is entering his fifth season in the big leagues, all with Cleveland. He can be a free agent after the 2024 season.
Triston McKenzie was scheduled to start the second game of the season on Friday night, but he’ll be lost for as many as eight weeks with a strained teres major muscle. McKenzie was injured in his start against the Reds on Sunday.
“There’s no sugar-coating it, that’s a tough loss,” said Bieber. “Hopefully, he can come back as soon as possible and we’re able to get Triston back for an important stretch of the season.
“The big thing is we shouldn’t dwell on his recovery. He knows what an integral part of the team he is and so does everyone else.”
Hunter Gaddis will start in place of McKenzie on Friday.
McKenzie is on the trip with the Guardians.
“I’ve been hurt before in my career,” said McKenzie. “I feel with injuries, you have to take it one step at a time. You can’t look too far ahead.
“I’m optimistic with how I feel today. It’s a bummer, but I’m glad I’m able to be here with the boys and take part in the excitement of opening day.”
The Guardians have a tough draw for the opener in Seattle. They made the postseason last year for the first time in 21 seasons. In the process they went 6-1 against the Guards.
“I think Seattle feels it’s built for October,” said Francona. “We certainly saw the best of them last year. We know we’ll have our hands full.”
Here is the Guardians’ projected opening day lineup: LF Steven Kwan, SS Amed Rosario, 3B Jose Ramirez, DH Josh Bell, 1B Josh Naylor, RF Oscar Gonzalez, 2B Andres Gimenez, C Mike Zunino, CF Myles Straw and RHP Bieber.
Here is Seattle’s projected opening day lineup, according mlb.com: 2B Kolten Wong, CF Julio Rodriguez, 1B Ty France, RF Teoscar Hernandez, C Cal Raleigh, 3B Eugenio Suarez, LF Jarred Kelenic, DH Cooper Hummel, SS J.P. Crawford and RHP Luis Castillo.
The Guardians enter the season after shocking the baseball world last year by winning 92 games and a division title with the youngest team in the big leagues.
The final rosters haven’t been dissected yet, but they could easily be the youngest team this year as well.
Said Francona, “We don’t just want to be a feel good story. We want to use last season as a springboard.”
The Guardians must finalize their 26-man roster by Thursday morning. As of Wednesday, the needed to clear two spaces on the 40-man roster for non-roster catchers Cam Gallagher and Meibrys Viloria. It’s expected that right-hander Cody Morris will be placed on the 60-day injured list and that another player will be designated for assignment off the 40-man roster.
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