It must be like deja-vu for Brian Cashman. 20 years ago, Aaron Boone was to be the New York Yankees’ third baseman. Then he blew out his knee and suddenly Cashman had to arrange an unplanned trade – that was how they got Alex Rodriguez. Now once again he’s found himself in a similar predicament. Cashman’s ace Gerrit Cole is injured and the team needs a pitcher, it sounds like the wheels of time are turning again.

While Cashman is in a struggle of his own, something similar is happening with the Texas Rangers. The World Series champs have realized that their starting lineup is not sufficient. So they’re in the market too. The two rivals were battling for Dylan Cease – until he went to the San Diego Padres. While that pursuit failed, there’s another name in the market who could be an ideal part of their squad. 

Shane Bieber, the Cy Young winning ace of the Cleveland Guardians is still available for a trade. Until now, speculations have surrounded Bieber but they’ve not materialized into a real deal. Part of the reason is his elbow issue but desperate times call for desperate measures. According to Buster Olney of ESPN, the Yankees and others might have discussed making this trade.

The fact that makes Bieber an attractive option is that he’ll be a free agent next season. That makes him quite an inexpensive addition to the squad. But acquiring Bieber won’t be like a bed of roses. The ace comes with his advantages and issues that teams like the Yankees and Rangers will have to deal with.

How Shane Bieber can transform the Yankees and Rangers 

Bieber’s tendency to consistently throw a high number of pitches is second to none. Add that to the fact that he rarely gives walks, one can imagine how impactful his addition could be. There’s an added advantage for the Yankees as Bieber knows their pitching coach Matt Blake. The two have previously worked together in the then-Cleveland Indians. As a result, that reunion could prove to be fruitful for the team.

However, last season saw an uncharacteristically weak performance from Bieber. His velocity had reduced to 91.3 mph from 94.1 mph in his 2020 Cy Young winning season. Then inflammation on his throwing elbow took Bieber out of the field for an extended period. While he has healed by now, elbow inflammation cannot be ignored. So naturally there’s a huge risk here. But again, desperate times call for desperate measures. Sometimes it’s the only road you can take.

Read more: MLB Rumors: Yankees Eye Michael Lorenzen as Cost-Effective Plan B to Blake Snell in Wake of Gerrit Cole Injury