Rebuilding Guardians trade pitchers Shane Bieber and Paul Sewald to contending Blue Jays and Tigers (UPDATED)

The Guardians traded two players before Thursday's 6 p.m. deadline. Thankfully for Cleveland baseball fans, Steven Kwan wasn't one of them. The Guardians still dealt a popular player in 2020 Cy Young Award winner and longtime ace Shane Bieber to the Blue Jays for one of Toronto's top prospects, pitcher Khal Stephen, while sending veteran reliever Paul Sewald to Central Division rival Detroit for cash or a player to be named. Despite Kwan being mentioned in trade talks with multiple teams throughout the week, the fan favorite remained in Cleveland, where he is under team control through 2027. "What I can confirm for Steven is that not only do we have a profound appreciation of what he's able to contribute on the baseball field and in the clubhouse, but so does the rest of major league baseball," team president Chris Antonetti said. "We're really excited that he will continue to be with us moving forward." Bieber, a homegrown talent who's been with Cleveland since his draft selection in the 2016 fourth round, was near the end of his rehab from Tommy John surgery performed in April of last year. He pitched four innings for Double-A Akron on Tuesday, allowing a home run and striking out seven. Next up was one or two more rehab appearances before joining the rotation and giving a boost to Cleveland's pitching staff, which is without a suspended Luis Ortiz and closer Emmanuel Clase until at least Aug. 31. Now, Bieber is in line to take the mound for the first time since April 2, 2024, for another team. Bieber's tenure in Cleveland included a 62-32 record and 3.22 ERA over 136 games (134 starts). His Cy Young came during the pandemic season, when the two-All-Star went 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA in 12 starts, striking out 122 batters over 77 1/3 innings. He was MVP of the All-Star Game at Progressive Field in 2019. "Words can't really cover how thankful I am for our time in Cleveland," Bieber's wife Kara wrote on X. "The last eight years have been something so special, because of you guys. We grew up here together. Thank you @cleguardians." Part of Bieber's one-year contract worth $14 million this season included a $16 million player option for 2026 that he was not expected to exercise. He was in line for a lucrative contract on the free agent market before sustaining the elbow injury two outings into 2024. The Guardians got little for their offseason investment in Sewald, who spent two stints on the injured list and was limited to 18 appearances (4.70 ERA). The right-hander is currently on the injured list with a shoulder strain and isn't expected to pitch until September for the first-place Tigers. Stephen, 22, was a second-round draft pick last year and was recently ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Blue Jays' fifth-best prospect, posting a 9-1 record and 2.06 ERA over 18 games (17 starts) over three minor league levels this season. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound right-hander was promoted to Double-A New Hampshire on July 20 and made one start before landing on the seven-day injured list with right shoulder impingement. He is expected to join Akron when he is ready for activation. "There's lots to like with Khal," Antonetti said. "First and foremost, he's a big, physical starting pitcher with a good frame. He's got a very deep arsenal of pitches. It's a five-pitch mix. He recently added this year a split-finger fastball that's added another element to his game. We think he's a guy that's capable of not only logging innings at the major league level but pitching pretty effectively." "It's a (minor) shoulder injury, so he's already back throwing, not yet in game, obviously but he is back throwing and will continue his rehab with us out in Arizona." Kwan, an All-Star the past two seasons and winner of three straight Gold Gloves, reportedly drew interest from the Dodgers, Phillies, Blue Jays, Astros and Padres, among others. He has gone public with his desire to remain in Cleveland, but thus far the sides haven't been able to reach an agreement on a long-term contract.. "We don't have any hard-fast rules about that, but what we've found often times is that when you try to explore contract extensions during the season, it can be a real distraction," Antonetti said. "So, that's why we've typically preferred for that to happen in the offseason or in spring training." Kwan has been bothered by a lingering wrist injury this season, batting .286 with nine homers and 38 RBIs in 102 games. Clase's suspension cost the Guardians a chance to trade the three-time All-Star for a hefty package of prospects. He was one Cleveland's few marquee trade pieces. "There were a lot of considerations that we had to weigh around this time of the year. The unexpected developments recently were certainly one of them," Antonetti said. "But in the end, we feel good about the roster that we have for the balance of 2025 and are excited about the future. "We continue to believe in the group of players that are here, not just at the major league level but players that we think can possibly contribute from the upper levels of our minor league system. Hopefully, we play our best baseball from here on out and make things interesting heading into September." The Guardians also claimed reliever Carlos Hernandez off waivers from Detroit, which designated the right-hander for assignment. He has appeared in 36 games for Philadelphia and Detroit this season, posting a 6.69 ERA. Hernandez, 28, has spent six seasons in the majors for three teams, owning an 8-19 record and 5.17 ERA. Contact Chris Assenheimer at (440) 329-7136 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him on X @CAwesomeheimer.