The Blue Jays might have spent their off-season chasing highly touted free agents, but the biggest bet they placed on 2025 and beyond occurred through trade.
In recaps of the Jays’ winter, the additions of slugger Anthony Santander, veteran starter Max Scherzer and closer Jeff Hoffman tend to hog most of the space. Few words get written about the addition of second baseman Andrés GiménezÌý±¹¾±²¹Ìýtrade with the Cleveland Guardians.
There’s good reason for that. While Giménez is a gold-glove winning infielder, he has also been one of the worst performing everyday bats in the majors over the last two seasons. Instead of making the Jays lineup better, there’s a realistic chance he will make it worse.Â
The Jays don’t share that concern. What other teams might have viewed as a sunk cost, Toronto’s front office considers an underappreciated asset and jumped at the opportunity to pay him about $100 million (U.S.) through 2029. It’s a substantial commitment and one the Jays didn’t shy away from, despite the red flags.
Gregor Chisholm joins Deep Left Field to discuss all the goings-on from spring training
Gregor Chisholm joins Deep Left Field to discuss all the goings-on from spring training
“Everybody always forgets about Gimmy. I’m fired up about Andrés Giménez,” Jays general manager Ross Atkins said recently at spring training when asked about the club’s off-season moves.
The Jays are so excited about Giménez because of what he did a few years ago. In 2022, he temporarily established himself as one of MLB’s rising stars by hitting .297 with 46 extra-base hits and an .837 on-base plus slugging percentage.
For one full season, he did it all. Giménez won the first of what would become three consecutive gold gloves and stole 20 bases. After opening the season in the No. 9 spot, he was promoted to the heart of the Guardians lineup. He made an impact on both sides of the ball and appeared to be one of the more well-rounded players in MLB.
Giménez was rewarded with a seven-year contract. He then put up increasingly diminished returns over the next two seasons with his OPS dropping to .712 in 2023 and a well-below average .638 in 2024 — fifth-lowest among qualified big-league hitters.
The Jays are all in on 2025 with an incomplete roster and no clear direction beyond that.
The Jays are all in on 2025 with an incomplete roster and no clear direction beyond that.
Just as concerning, the deal he signed was back-loaded. He made $1.57 million in 2023 and $5.57 million in 2024. This year, that number jumps to $10.57 million, followed by $15.71 million in 2026 and $23.57 million each of the next three seasons. If his production reverts to 2022, that money will be well spent. If he doesn’t, Atkins will have done the Guardians a huge favour by taking him off their books.
“I was more focused on results last year, so it didn’t give me the chance to really focus on little things that we have to be focused on,” said Giménez, who’s fully aware he didn’t meet expectations. “Just stay consistent with myself, with my movement, in my approach, trusting my abilities. I think ‘22 and ‘23 were good examples of that, but I just need to get back there.”
The Jays believe in Giménez so much that, despite last year’s poor results, he’s a candidate to bat near the top of the order. He hit second during his first two games of the spring and was in the leadoff spot on Wednesday afternoon against the Philadelphia Phillies, where he went 0-for-1 with a walk and was hit by a pitch in a 9-6 loss.
Giménez requires a bounceback season to justify such a prominent position. His walk and hit totals must make big jumps, but the Jays are convinced he has the skill set they’ve been looking for. Earlier in spring training, manager John Schneider pointed to Giménez’s ability to make contact and make pitchers work as reasons why he was under consideration for so many at-bats.
Roden has been one of Toronto’s most positive storylines to emerge from this year’s spring training.
Roden has been one of Toronto’s most positive storylines to emerge from this year’s spring training.
“Anything to help the team,” said Giménez, who is still only 26, the same age as rookie Will Wagner. “Through my career, I’ve been hitting from leading off all the way to the nine spot. I’m going to feel very good about it. I’m here to help the team, to do the best I can in the lineup and to get some wins.”
Jays fans are sure to fall in love with Giménez’s glove. His range and athleticism are a pleasure to watch, and he figures to become a regular presence on highlight reels. As a defender, he’s an infield version of Daulton Varsho, which comes as welcome news to the Jays pitching staff.
It might be more difficult to become enamoured of the overall package. Defensive specialists tend to come cheap. They’re not the types who command upwards of $23 million a season. So, the final verdict on this off-season deal will depend on whether Giménez proves to have been undervalued or overpaid.
Trading for Giménez was a risky move by the front office. After striking out elsewhere this off-season, it’s also one of the only high-stakes wagers it was able to make.
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