TORONTO — Shane Bieber turned into more than just a deadline rental for the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday after the former Cy Young Award winner decided to forgo free agency, exercising his $16-million player option for 2026, according to two industry sources.

The decision is somewhat surprising after Bieber, acquired from Cleveland on July 31 for righty pitching prospect Khal Stephen, made a strong return from Tommy John surgery over the season’s final two months that seemed to position him well for the open market.

In seven starts, he posted a 3.57 ERA in 40.1 innings, and he then appeared in five post-season contests, four starts, pitching the Blue Jays to important wins in Game 3 of the ALCS against Seattle (six innings, two runs, eight strikeouts) and Game 4 of the World Series (5.1 innings, one run, three strikeouts), while also coming out of the bullpen for the 11th inning of Game 7, when Will Smith homered.

After the gutting finale, the impact his limited time with the Blue Jays made on him was clear when he described the team as “a really, really special group” and added that, “I’m very grateful to be a part of it.”

“This group is unlike any that I’ve ever been a part of,” he continued later. “That’s a sentiment we all kind of share personally. That’s very clear. There’s a lot of love in this room.”