"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"
"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."
Toronto acquired Andrés Giménez and reliever Nick Sandlin last winter in exchange for Spencer Horwitz and minor-league outfielder Nick Mitchell. Cleveland was reluctant to carry Giménez's rising salary after his 2022 extension, prompting the Guardians to move on. Horwitz was later traded to Pittsburgh as part of Cleveland's roster moves. Giménez produced an All-Star breakout in 2022 but saw offensive decline over subsequent seasons, making the Toronto deal a calculated gamble and potential contingency plan for Bo Bichette's roster shift. Giménez's Jays debut began hot, cooled to a .173 average and .440 OPS over 31 games, then led to IL time with a quad injury.
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