The Cleveland Guardians start to the 2023 season began with excitement before the team even took the field. Reports came out just a few days before Opening day that the organization had reached agreements on contract extensions with a couple of star players and they were finalized on Thursday.
Andres Gimenez
Cleveland's All-Star second baseman will stick around for quite a bit longer. Andres Gimenez signed a seven-year extension that takes him through the 2029 season with a club option for the 2030 season.
Those outside Cleveland may not know Gimenez all too well, but that will change soon. He was ranked sixth in WAR last season with a 7.4 after hitting .297 with 17 home runs. The second baseman does a little bit of everything!
Gimenez's name will forever be linked to Francisco Lindor after he was a part of the trade that sent Lindor to the Mets. But we can put that era behind us as Gimenez will officially be here long-term
Trevor Stephan
Trevor Stephan's four-year extension is a dream come true for any minor leaguer. The Guardians drafted him out of the Yankees' farm system in 2020 and now he has long-term security with a Big League club.
His deal will take him through the 2026 season with club options for 2027-28.
Stephan broke out last season and finished the year with a 2.69 ERA over 63.1 IP. He had an impressive 11.6 SO/9 innings which is exactly what you want to see from a relief pitcher.
Having Stephan in the bullpen for years to come will make for a great transition arm to the back end of the bullpen.
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