Report: Indians taking calls on Bieber, other young starters
The Cleveland Indians' phone lines are busy these days.
Not only are there rumblings that rival teams are interested in star shortstop Francisco Lindor, but the Indians are also receiving inquiries about their young starting pitchers, including Shane Bieber, Zach Plesac, and Aaron Civale, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
Cleveland doesn't consider any player untouchable, but it would take a lot to pry any of those young starters away, Heyman added.
Bieber, 24, is fresh off a breakout campaign that saw him start the All-Star Game for the American League team. In 34 regular-season contests, including 33 starts, he authored a 3.28 ERA and a 3.32 FIP while leading MLB with two complete-game shutouts. The right-hander is likely to receive down-ballot votes for the AL Cy Young Award, which will be announced on Wednesday evening.
Plesac made his major-league debut in 2019 as a 24-year-old. In 21 starts, the right-hander posted a 3.81 ERA and a 4.94 FIP. Civale also made the jump to the big leagues this past season at 24. He owned a 2.34 ERA and a 3.40 FIP over 10 starts.
In 2019, Cleveland failed to make the playoffs for the first time in five years. At 93-69, the Indians finished second in the AL Central behind the Minnesota Twins and three games back of the Tampa Bay Rays for the second AL wild-card spot.