Blue Jays' acquisition of Andrés Giménez has to set table for something more

DALLAS — In acquiring three-time Gold Glove 2nd baseman Andrés Giménez from the Cleveland Guardians, the Toronto Blue Jays person made their first important scatter of the offseason. But the deal — acquiring a glove-first subordinate who mightiness person an untapped violative upside — has to beryllium the appetizer earlier the main people of acquiring an effect bat, and much pitching help, too, lest this offseason beryllium a repetition of past year’s disappointment.

The Blue Jays acquired Giménez connected Tuesday successful a four-player waste and acquisition connected Day 2 of the Winter Meetings. It’s believed the Blue Jays besides received right-handed reliever Nick Sandlin successful the woody while sending the Guardians first baseman Spencer Horwitz and minor-league outfielder Nick Mitchell. Neither squad has confirmed the trade.

Giménez, who has spent the past 4 seasons successful Cleveland aft he was acquired from the New York Mets successful the Francisco Lindor deal, gives the Blue Jays an exceptional defender successful the mediate of the infield. The 26-year-old has won the AL Gold Glove astatine 2nd guidelines successful each of the past 3 seasons and could very good beryllium the champion 2nd baseman successful the majors.

His bat is much of a mobility mark, however.

Giménez had a profession twelvemonth successful 2022, hitting .297/.371/.466, which he parlayed into earning a semipermanent statement from Cleveland that sees him still owed astir $97 cardinal done 2029 pinch a $30 cardinal squad action for 2030. But since 2022, Giménez has deed .252/.306/.368 pinch 24 location runs and has been worthy 90 wRC+ successful 2 seasons.

On paper, Giménez makes the Blue Jays amended defensively (already a squad strength), but his bat is beneath average, and astatine best, he’s a singles hitter, truthful he doesn’t capable the powerfulness spread successful Toronto’s lineup. The contiguous interest is this waste and acquisition could extremity up looking a batch for illustration the infield type of the Daulton Varsho deal, successful which the Blue Jays gained a batch defensively, but the upside successful the bat they promised 2 years agone hasn’t travel to fruition.

So what’s the imaginable use of the woody for the Blue Jays? Well, the acquisition costs was reasonably low. With the presumption that Cleveland was eager to get important money disconnected its books to summation its flexibility, it was consenting to waste and acquisition Giménez and Sandlin, a coagulated reliever, to Toronto for only Horwitz and a lottery summons successful Mitchell. In that way, the woody could extremity up being a lopsided triumph for Toronto if it tin so unlock much violative effect from Giménez.

Horwitz had a beardown rookie play for the Blue Jays successful 2024, hitting .265/.357/.433 pinch 12 location runs successful 97 games. Blue Jays wide head Ross Atkins called the 26-year-old “a really affirmative communicative successful baseball. A really bully hitter against right-handed pitching and an up-and-coming, breathtaking subordinate that we will beryllium pulling for.” But Horwitz isn’t considered a beardown defender connected a Blue Jays roster that is already laden pinch young infielders without a group position.

Meanwhile, Atkins said the nine was attracted to “everything” astir Giménez.

“The activity that we did connected his bat and the violative effect that tin beryllium there,” the Blue Jays GM said. “We’ve conscionable heard unthinkable things astir the person. The guidelines runner, adding that level of velocity (and) that level of athleticism and being present for a agelong time. All that was very charismatic to us. The elite defence speaks for itself, and we acquired him to play 2nd guidelines for us.”

Giménez is owed to make $10.5 cardinal adjacent season. His net increases to $15.5 cardinal successful 2026 and $23.5 cardinal for the 3 seasons aft that. But the Blue Jays will spot important money travel disconnected their books aft the 2025 play erstwhile Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Chris Bassitt deed free agency, and Kevin Gausman is simply a free supplier aft 2026. So the accounting for Giménez’s summation makes consciousness for Toronto, evidently pinch the large caveat that the nine hopes to thief him amended his hitting and that it isn’t paying a glove-only subordinate $23.5 cardinal successful 2026 and beyond.

As for really to thief Giménez return to the violative floor plan he flashed successful 2022, Atkins said the Blue Jays staff, including head John Schneider and caller hitting coach David Popkins, has already fixed it immoderate thought.

“The interaction expertise has been there. The grind successful his at-bats has ever been there. It’s much conscionable getting to that exit velo that he had 2 years ago, and the movements that he had earlier are different,” Atkins said. “There are things that perchance we want to talk to him about.”

With Atkins confirming Giménez was acquired to play 2nd base, Bichette will stay the shortstop. The Blue Jays tin see utilizing Will Wagner successful a inferior subordinate domiciled overmuch for illustration the 1 Cavan Biggio formerly occupied. Ernie Clement, Addison Barger and Orelvis Martinez stay soul options to play 3rd base, arsenic well.

After the Giménez deal, the Blue Jays notch a constituent successful the deals tally astatine the Winter Meetings and person astatine slightest go amended defensively, for a comparatively debased cost. Earlier successful the day, the nine is besides believed to person agreed to position pinch right-handed reliever Yimi García, bringing backmost the reliever it traded astatine the deadline. The woody is expected to beryllium worthy 2 years and $15 million, per a study from Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi and Ben Nicholson Smith.

But the Giménez and García deals tin only beryllium a portion of the bigger puzzle the squad is building to retrofit the roster into a competitory portion for 2025. The Blue Jays still desperately request to bring successful an effect bat and much pitching help, connected the starting and relieving side.

But the free-agent excavation continues to shrink. The Blue Jays were willing successful starter Max Fried, according to a study from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, earlier the left-hander agreed to position connected an eight-year, $218 cardinal woody pinch the New York Yankees. Fellow starting pitcher Corbin Burnes remains available, but the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox are group to beryllium conscionable arsenic motivated arsenic the Blue Jays to motion him, as Rosenthal besides reported.

On offence, Teoscar Hernández, Anthony Santander, Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman stay the apical free-agent hitters available. With options to plug guys into the outfield, infield aliases designated hitter, the Blue Jays stay elastic connected who and really they tin adhd much to their team.

The deals Tuesday were a start, and the assemblage is still retired connected really this waste and acquisition will cookware out. But 1 point is certain: Much activity is up for the Blue Jays.

(Photo: Ken Blaze / USA Today)

Kaitlyn McGrath is simply a unit writer for The Athletic, covering the Toronto Blue Jays. Previously, she worked astatine the National Post and CBC. Follow Kaitlyn connected Twitter @kaitlyncmcgrath