The Guardians and right-handed starting pitcher Tanner Bibee have agreed to a contract extension that buys out at least one free agent year and gives the ballclub cost certainty moving forward. The deal runs through 2029 with a club option for 2030, the Guardians announced Saturday.
The deal will pay Bibee a $2 million signing bonus, $3 million this season, $4 million in 2026, $7 million in 2027, $10 million in 2028, $21 million in 2029 and the option is for $21 million in 2030 with a $1 million buyout if it’s not picked up, per The Athletic. So that’s at least $48 million guaranteed over five years with the possibility of it becoming a six-year deal worth $68 million.
Bibee wasn’t set to hit free agency until after the 2028 season, so the deal will only buy out one or two years of free agency.
The 26-year-old Bibee was 12-8 with a 3.47 ERA (117 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP and 187 strikeouts in 173⅔ innings last season. CBS Sports’ Dayn Perry ranked him as MLB’s No. 77 player entering the 2025 season. Here’s what he wrote:
The 26-year-old Bibee in two MLB seasons has to his credit an ERA+ of 128 and an FIP of 3.54. This past season, he reached new heights in workload as he made 31 starts and worked 173 ⅔ innings. He gets good extension on a fastball that averages almost 95 mph.
Bibee is the Guardians’ Opening Day starter, taking the ball this coming Thursday in Kansas City against Cole Ragans and the Royals.
The Guardians won the AL Central and advanced to the ALCS last season.
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