Blue Jays Acquire Three-time Gold Glover in First Trade of Winter Meetings

The Toronto Blue Jays have officially made the first big trade at the MLB winter meetings in Dallas. They acquired three-time Gold Glover Andres Gimenez in a trade with the Guardians. While the total package getting sent back to Cleveland is not official yet, one of the players heading over will be an infielder, Spencer Horwitz. The trade came out of nowhere just minutes after Max Fried was reported to be signing a mega contract with the New York Yankees.

Gimenez has been a surehanded infielder ever since he debuted with the Mets in 2020. After being traded to the Guardians before the 2021 season, he had a rather lackluster year and had many people worrying about the future of his game. However, Gimenez soon locked down the second base position in Cleveland and made it worthwhile. He has won three straight Gold Glove awards and was an All-Star in 2022, even finishing sixth in MVP voting. Gimenez saw another down year in 2024, but it was heavily due to a lack of power from what he had performed in years prior. The good news for the Blue Jays is that the last time that happened, he followed up with an All-Star year.

The biggest plus to swinging Gimenez this offseason is that he will be under contract until 2029 with a club option in 2030. It comes as a shock that the Guardians traded Gimenez just two years after signing him to a lengthy extension, especially after winning the AL Central in 2024. For the Blue Jays, this shows a commitment to winning back the AL East. They have yet to make a big splash in the free-agent market, but this shows they are willing to do what it takes to win. They went out and got a lockdown second baseman who is going to play every single day for them and will not disappoint.