Pressure is on for the Blue Jays’ trade for Andrés Giménez to pay off

The Toronto Blue Jays have had a busy and impactful offseason, but will look to a move they made last offseason to pay big dividends in 2026. Last winter, they traded 1B/DH Spencer Horwitz and minor-league outfielder Nick Mitchell to the Cleveland Guardians for middle infielder Andrés Giménez and relief pitcher Nick Sandlin.

With all of the personnel changes that have happened since this trade was made, there’s considerable pressure on the front office for this trade to really start paying off.

Pressure is on for the Andres Gimenez trade to pay off

When news of the trade broke, it was met with surprise and criticism, but made sense given Cleveland’s unwillingness to pay Giménez’s ascending salary. He earned a seven-year, $106.5 million extension following a 2022 breakout season that featured a starting spot in the All-Star Game, a career-high 17 home runs, and a sixth-place finish in the AL MVP voting. 

After the 27-year-old’s offensive production dropped off over the next two seasons, Giménez was deemed expendable, and the Guardians subsequently quickly shipped Horwitz to the Pittsburgh Pirates for a prospect package centered around pitcher Luis Ortiz. The trade was a gamble by the Blue Jays.

Horwitz was coming off a promising rookie season (12 HR, .790 OPS in 97 games), and Giménez’s salary was going up to $10.5 million in 2025, $15.5M in ‘26, and $23.5M from ‘27-’29. The trade also appeared to be a contingency plan for Bo Bichette’s departure in free agency. The three-time Gold Glove winner at second base slid over to shortstop seamlessly last year, down the stretch and throughout the playoff run.

Giménez’s debut season with the Jays was a rollercoaster ride. He came out of the gates swinging, with three homers and a pair of doubles in the first five games. Then he went ice cold, with a .173 average and a .440 OPS over the next 31 games before going on the IL with a quad injury. The Venezuela native hit much better after returning to the lineup, and batted .253 with two homers, two doubles, 13 RBI, and a .690 OPS over the next 25 games before missing more time with a sprained ankle. 

Giménez finished the season on another slump, hitting .195 with a .556 OPS over his last 40 games, but his value as an elite defender and baserunner was established.

As inconsistent as he was all season. Giménez had his moments during an unforgettable run to the World Series. He drove in a pair and scored another in Game 1 of the ALDS, went deep in Games 3 and 4 of the ALCS to help the Jays come back from a 2-0 deficit to start that series, and played near-flawless defense at shortstop, with just one error in 128 chances. 

Now, with Bichette gone, Giménez will be the primary option at shortstop, and as valuable as he’s been with his glove work and on the basepaths, there’s hope he can increase his OPS, which has plummeted each year since 2022, from .837 to just .598 in 2025. As he’s so integral to the infield defense, Giménez will be eager to improve his availability after missing over 50 games due to injury last season. 

Horwitz adjusted well to the National League and hit .272, with 11 home runs, 26 doubles, 51 RBI, and a .787 OPS in 108 games with the Pirates last season. He has the look of a professional hitter on a team that could be on the rise in 2026. Giménez is one of the premier defenders and baserunners in the sport. If he can make some adjustments at the plate and avoid the prolonged slumps that plagued him last season, he can change the optics of this controversial trade.