In Photos: Shane Bieber's wife Kara Maxine shares snippets from romantic weekend getaway in Phoenix
Cleveland Guardians ace pitcher Shane Bieber has been linked to several ballclubs this offseason. It was looking highly likely that a franchise would trade for him, which can still happen despite the 2023 offseason coming to a close and with the 2024 spring training fast approaching.
However, Bieber isn't paying heed to the rumors and links. He was spotted enjoying the offseason with his wife Kara Maxine, who took to Instagram to share some delightful photos from the couple's retreat in Phoenix, Arizona.
While attending the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), Bieber and Kara were introduced to each other. After dating for a few years, they got engaged in 2021, three years after Bieber's MLB debut.
In January 2023, Shane Bieber and Kara Maxine celebrated their marriage in Malibu, California, in front of friends and family. Malibu's picturesque coastline, just a few hours' drive from UCSB, provided the perfect backdrop for their special day.
The Cleveland Guardians selected Shane Bieber in the fourth round of the 2016 MLB draft. He made his major league debut with the team two years later at Target Field against the Minnesota Twins.
The 2020 AL Cy Young winner and the Guardians decided to forgo arbitration last month and instead agreed on a one-year, $13.125 million contract. Due to elbow issues he encountered in July while throwing, Bieber only made 21 starts in the previous campaign, which heavily limited the ace from showcasing his full potential at the mound.
Shane Bieber is highly unlikely to be traded from the Cleveland Guardians this offseason
The Guardians are "very unlikely" to move Shane Bieber in the offseason, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network. Even for the Guardians, this offseason has been remarkably quiet except for bringing in the new manager in the form of experienced MLB ace Stephen Vogt.
The uncertainty surrounding their broadcast rights contract has been a major factor in their lack of spending. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal voiced doubts last month on the Foul Territory Podcast about Bieber being dealt, citing the player's declining value in the league.
"I don't know that it's going to happen. And the reason is that Bieber has lost velocity since 2020, really almost every year. He's not quite the same guy. He's coming off of an injury," Rosenthal said.
Shane Bieber lost a substantial amount of time because of an injury during the 2023 MLB season for the second time in three seasons. In 2021, he missed three months because of a subscapularis strain.