Blue Jays swing Andres Gimenez trade with Guardians

The Toronto Blue Jays have had enough. After seeing both Juan Soto and Max Fried choose New York over The Six, general manager Ross Atkins is completing a trade with the Cleveland Guardians for Gold Glove second baseman Andres Gimenez, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Former second-round draft pick Spencer Horwitz, who tallied 12 home runs and 40 RBIs in 97 games last season, is being sent to the American League Central champions in exchange, per ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.

This is an important offseason for the Jays, and they are finally ready to make a move. While Gimenez will not evoke the kind of excitement that the aforementioned All-Stars do, he can bring crucial stability to the diamond. The 26-year-old earned an invitation to the Midsummer Classic himself in 2022 after posting a .297 batting average and 17 home runs. His offense has precipitously declined over the last two years, but Toronto could benefit from his durability and defensive consistency.

Blue Jays fans are starving for a high-profile free agent or trade acquisition, and the inability to lure away Soto or Fried from the New York Mets and Yankees, respectively, will make it harder to appreciate Gimenez’s arrival. Once the pain of rejection wears off, though, (yet again) the city should acknowledge the value the second baseman brings to the team.