Opening-day starter Tanner Bibee signs $48 million, 5-year contract with Cleveland Guardians

By: The Associated Press Posted: 2:50 PM CDT Saturday, Mar. 22, 2025 Last Modified: 8:13 PM CDT Saturday, Mar. 22, 2025

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CLEVELAND (AP) — Right-hander Tanner Bibee has signed a $48 million, five-year contract with the Cleveland Guardians, a deal that includes a team option for 2030 and could be worth $68 million over six seasons.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/03/2025 (230 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Bibee will get his first opening-day assignment on Thursday at Kansas City. He went 12-8 with a 3.47 ERA last season, finishing with 12 quality starts in 31 outings and 187 strikeouts in 173 2/3 innings.

The 26-year-old California native was 0-1 with a 3.45 ERA in four postseason starts last year.

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee throws against the Cincinnati Reds during the second inning of a spring training baseball game Monday, March 17, 2025, in Goodyear, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Cleveland also traded infielder/outfielder Tyler Freeman to Colorado for outfielder Nolan Jones on Saturday.

Bibee gets a $2 million signing bonus and salaries of $3 million in 2025, $4 million in 2026, $7 million in 2027, $10 million in 2028 and $21 million in 2029. Cleveland’s 2030 option is for $21 million with a $1 million buyout.

His 2029 salary and the option can escalate by up to $4 million based on Cy Young Award voting from 2025-28. The buyout can increase by an additional $2 million based on Cy Young voting.

Bibee’s deal supersedes a one-year contract agreed to March 8 that called for an $812,000 salary in the major leagues and $372,900 in the minors. He would have been eligible for arbitration after each of the next three seasons and for free agency following the 2028 World Series.

Bibee had 10 wins during his rookie season in 2023 and was second in AL Rookie of the Year voting. He is the third Cleveland pitcher since 2000 with at least 10 wins in each of his first two seasons in the big leagues. Hall of Famer CC Sabathia (2001-02) and Shane Bieber (2018-19) are the others.

Cleveland selected Bibee in the fifth round of the 2021 amateur draft. He will anchor a young rotation this season that will be missing Bieber for at least the first half as he continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb