What a realistic strong finish looks like For Andrés Giménez

The Toronto Blue Jays pulled off an interesting trade with Cleveland during the winter that caused fans feel optimistic about the future. The returns have been mixed but there is still time for both sides to make things better. What should the last few weeks look like for one of the crown jewel acquisitions of the offseason?

The Blue Jays acquired infielder Andrés Giménez and reliever Nick Sandlin in exchange for Spencer Horwitz and minor league outfielder Nick Mitchell. Giménez is only 26 years old and seemed ready to experience his prime career years. He captured the Gold Glove Award in the prior three years and was an All-Star during an otherworldly 2022 season. Suffice to say, the 2025 season hasn't gone according to plan for Giménez.

What a realistic strong finish looks like For Andres Gimenez

In 63 games played in 2025, Giménez has a .221 batting average. He has just five home runs with 23 runs batted in. Giménez's OPS is a career low .626 even though he is toting a 1.2 WAR. That positive WAR can be explained by stellar defense with 7 outs above average that ranks in the 95th percentile in baseball.

Giménez has been out of the lineup since July 4 against the Angels on account of a left ankle injury. In his first two games, he batted in the ninth spot, a remarkable contrast from when he was batting cleanup during the first few weeks of the regular season.

The old adage in baseball is that your statistical numbers probably won't change that much once the month of August is over. There are simply too many plate appearances to meaningfully shift the trajectory of your season. Having said that, why not be one of the better hitters from this point until the end? Giménez needs to forget about the last few months and perform at an elite level the next few weeks.

The question with Gimenez was always about whether or not the Blue Jays could help Gimenez rediscover his prior form. In 2023, he posted a .716 OPS after the All-Star break and swatted eight of his 15 home runs during that stretch. Last September, he posted his second-highest OPS (.665) in any month for a Cleveland team that made the playoffs. This is a player with typically good numbers in September and that's all the Jays need to see.

He appears to be hitting the ball hard (28.2% hard-hit rate), but not getting a ton of reward for that contact. The strikeout and walk rates remain solid. A career-low .249 BABIP may indicate the native of Venezuela is hitting into bad luck. Continued work with hitting coach David Popkins, who has done a fantastic job this season, may be all the more helpful.

The Blue Jays are playing well in the absence of Giménez. They amazingly hold the top spot in the AL East and have plenty of depth options. In fact, they have too many players for too few positions.

It's clear that Giménez won't be asked to unilaterally carry the offense even though any contributions will be welcomed. When Giménez is clicking offensively and defensively, this is a player that can put fear into opposing teams.