The Toronto Blue Jays massively upgraded their infield defense on Tuesday, completing a trade with the Cleveland Guardians to acquire three-time Gold Glove winner Andrés Giménez, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Giménez, a second baseman, has been one of the best defensive players in MLB for the last three years since he took up an everyday role in Cleveland. Although his bat has cooled off since his All-Star campaign in 2022, the 26-year-old remains an elite infielder and a valuable addition for Toronto. The 26-year-old is owed roughly $97 million over the next five seasons, likely playing a part in the Guardians’ decision to part ways with him despite them signing him to an extension in March ’23.
Last year, Giménez featured in 152 games and logged a .638 OPS with nine home runs and 63 RBIs. He won his third consecutive Gold Glove at second base while recording a 4.0 WAR. A Platinum Glove winner in 2023, Giménez will provide a huge boost to a Blue Jays team that averaged 0.57 errors per game, the seventh most in MLB.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that Nick Sandlin is also headed to Toronto as part of the trade, while infielder Spencer Horwitz and minor-league outfielder Nick Mitchell are going to the Guardians. Horwitz featured in 94 games for the Blue Jays last season and had a .790 OPS with 12 home runs. Horwitz will likely man the keystone spot vacated by Giménez and should provide more offense but worse defense at a lower price.
More of the Latest Around MLB
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Blue Jays Acquire Former All-Star Andres Gimenez in Trade With Guardians.
