Andrés Giménez hasn’t hit enough to be the Blue Jays' everyday shortstop

Andrés Giménez has had the tall task of replacing Bo Bichette as the Toronto Blue Jays’ starting shortstop in 2026—and the results have been mixed so far. 

Giménez has long been one of baseball’s best defensive infielders, and he’s been as sure-handed as they come since sliding off second base. His offence, however, has been well below replacement level. 

While there could be an argument to be made for prioritizing defence at such an important position, the Blue Jays should explore acquiring an offensive upgrade at the 2026 trade deadline.

Why can’t the Blue Jays afford to keep playing Giménez every day?

Giménez was MLB's undisputed best defensive second baseman before switching to shortstop in September 2025 when Bichette got hurt. He manned the position admirably through the remainder of the regular season and the entirety of the playoffs. 

Giménez’s range has been fantastic this year; his seven outs above average rank in the 98th percentile. His 6 fielding run value is also outstanding. His skills are exceptional, but his tools—mainly speed and arm strength—only grade out as slightly above average. That is what separates him from a true wizard like Bobby Witt Jr. at the position. 

The issue is that even playing defence on Witt’s level would not offset how poor Giménez has been with the bat. 

He started the season hot just like he did in 2025, racking up a good chunk of his RBIs in the first few weeks. It’s unfortunately been downhill from there as he posted a .494 OPS in May. He’s been better in June, yet he still entered Friday grading more than 20% worse than league average by both OPS+ (73) and wRC+ (76).

Giménez has been especially poor against left-handed pitching in 2026, slashing .197/.269/.328. Those numbers are simply unacceptable for an everyday player on a $100-million contract. He’s effectively been a free out against southpaws. 

Toronto would be wise to explore the trade market for another infielder, ideally one who hits right-handed. True shortstops are hard to find, but several second basemen are likely to be available at the deadline. 

Luis Arraez of the San Francisco Giants is an option if the Blue Jays are willing to make Ernie Clement their everyday shortstop. He would fit in perfectly in the two-hole between George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and has played surprisingly excellent defence at second base. 

Gleyber Torres of the Detroit Tigers would also be an excellent fit. He could slot in at the keystone against left-handed pitchers with Clement once again playing shortstop. He’s also on an expiring contract and likely wouldn’t cost much to acquire in terms of prospect capital. 

A blockbuster trade for someone like Jeremy Peña or Willy Adames is also worth kicking the tires on if their respective teams are willing to part with them. 

The Blue Jays need to make a change one way or another. Giménez is a valuable defender whose glove hasn’t outweighed his poor hitting. Improvement is needed. 

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