Andrés Giménez traded to Blue Jays from Guardians; Spencer Horwitz to Pirates

Andrés Giménez was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays from the Cleveland Guardians, some teams announced connected Tuesday. The Guardians besides sent reliever Nick Sandlin to Toronto, while acquiring 1B/2B Spencer Horwitz and minor-league outfielder Nick Mitchell from the Blue Jays.

OFFICIAL: We’ve acquired 2B Andrés Giménez and RHP Nick Sandlin from the Guardians successful speech for INF Spencer Horwitz and Minor League OF Nick Mitchell.

Welcome to our #BlueJays family! pic.twitter.com/NiXq8DGg2g

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) December 11, 2024

The Guardians past traded Horwitz to the Pittsburgh Pirates connected Tuesday nighttime successful speech for pitcher Luis Ortiz and minor-league pitchers Michael Kennedy and Josh Hartle.

We person acquired 1B Spencer Horwitz from the Guardians successful speech for RHP Luis Ortiz, LHP Michael Kennedy and LHP Josh Hartle. pic.twitter.com/2aUjYW2VXW

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) December 11, 2024

Giménez, 26, spent the past 4 seasons successful Cleveland aft being traded from the New York Mets arsenic portion of the package that sent Francisco Lindor to Queens. As a personnel of the Guardians, Giménez put up 17.6 WAR, according to Baseball-Reference, slashing .261/.321/.393 pinch 46 homers complete 519 games. In each of the past 3 seasons, Giménez has won the AL’s Gold Glove grant astatine 2nd guidelines to spell on pinch an AL All-Star motion and a sixth-place AL MVP decorativeness successful 2022. Giménez is nether squad power until 2029 pinch a squad action for 2030.

Sandlin has a 3.27 ERA complete 4 seasons pinch Cleveland, while Horwitz put up a 125 OPS+ complete 97 games for the Blue Jays.

The 25-year-old Ortiz compiled a 7-6 grounds pinch a 3.32 ERA successful 37 appearances and 15 starts for the Pirates successful 2024. In Horwitz, the Pirates person a left-handed hitting action astatine first guidelines who will apt get an opportunity to commencement pinch the departures of Rowdy Tellez and Connor Joe from the Bucs. Pirates head Derek Shelton noted connected Monday that the squad is besides preparing to get All-Star Bryan Reynolds immoderate reps astatine first during the team’s offseason program.

“The thought is that we’re going to spot what it’s for illustration astatine first base,” Shelton said. “To opportunity that he’s going to play location afloat time, I wouldn’t opportunity that. He’s a bully athlete. He likes taking crushed balls. The first worldly that he did astatine the extremity of the offseason into the play was very positive. We’ll spot really it goes and past we’ll spot really the remainder of our nine plays out.”

The summation of Horwitz, who tin besides spell starter Nick Gonzales astatine second, makes that image a flimsy spot clearer.

With the Winter Meetings successful afloat swing, the Gimenez woody is the first important move the Blue Jays person made. After their disappointing 74-88 season, Toronto came into the offseason eager to make a scatter to return their nine to competitory relevancy successful 2025. The Blue Jays were among the finalists for superstar Juan Soto earlier he signed his grounds woody pinch the Mets. On Tuesday, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported the Blue Jays were willing successful left-handed starter Max Fried earlier he agreed to position connected an eight-year, $218 cardinal woody pinch the New York Yankees.

(Photo: Jason Miller / Getty Images)