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By Jackson Roberts
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Toronto Blue Jays traded for Shane Bieber specifically so he could pitch in games like Tuesday night's.
Coming off a gut-wrenching 18-inning loss in Game 3 of the World Series, the Blue Jays needed a win to keep the Los Angeles Dodgers from seizing control of the series in commanding fashion. Facing all-world superstar Shohei Ohtani on the mound for the opposition, Bieber simply stuck to what he does best -- mixing, matching, and keeping runs off the board.
With a 5 1/3-inning, one-run performance, Bieber took home his first-ever World Series win on the bump. But his excellent night was also a reminder that this partnership with the Blue Jays could be a remarkably quick one.
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Because he was still rehabbing from Tommy John surgery when the Blue Jays acquired him, Bieber has only made 11 outings since the trade, totaling 58 innings. He may very well pitch again in this series, but with free agency looming, it's easy to wonder if this is the last Toronto fans will see of Bieber in a Blue Jays uniform.
However, when asked about that possibility on Tuesday night, Bieber wasn't yet ready to engage with thoughts of the future. That time, he said, is waiting somewhere down the road.
“It’ll be very emotional,” Bieber said, per Katie Woo of The Athletic. “Right now, I want to focus all my effort on winning tomorrow and winning a World Series. What my job is to do is come back in tomorrow, work out and recover, and get ready to contribute in any which way I can for potentially Game 6 or 7. So no, I’m not really focused on that right now. I’ll do that when the time is right.”
Bieber, a two-time All-Star and the 2020 American League Cy Young Award winner, will likely be seeking a nine-figure contract this winter. Tuesday's start was the kind of outing that can make a pitcher at least an extra million or two, because it came on the biggest stage this sport has to offer.
But what happens over the next two or three games can still change everything for Bieber, even if he doesn't pitch. One never knows how the Blue Jays' front office might change its approach to the offseason depending on whether the team wins a championship or comes up short.
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