The Toronto Blue Jays have completed a trade that adds an elite middle infielder and a reliable bullpen arm to the roster.
The Blue Jays are acquiring second baseman Andrés Giménez and right-handed reliever Nick Sandlin from the Cleveland Guardians.
In return, the Blue Jays are sending first baseman Spencer Horwitz and minor-league outfielder Nick Mitchell to Cleveland.
"Really exciting player that's going to be a big impact for us," Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins said of Giménez at the Winter Meetings in Dallas. "Excited about both sides of the ball for him. He is someone that we know can hit... the defence and baserunning are elite, that is absolutely proven. Excited about that athleticism coming onto our field."
Giménez, 26, has spent the past four seasons with the Guardians, earning three consecutive Gold Gloves at second base, the 2023 AL Platinum Glove and a trip to the All-Star Game in 2022.
The left-handed hitting infielder played in 152 games for Cleveland's AL Central-winning squad in 2024, slashing .252/.298/.340 with nine home runs, 22 doubles and 30 stolen bases.
Defensively, Giménez led all American League second basemen with 20 defensive runs saved and tied Marcus Semien for the lead in outs above average with 19.
In the post-season, he recorded eight hits in 10 games, including two doubles.
According to Sportsnet Stats, Giménez has the fourth-highest WAR, as calculated by FanGraphs, among second basemen since 2022.
Since debuting in 2020, the newest Blue Jay has racked up 505 career hits, a .715 OPS, 49 homers and 99 stolen bases.
Giménez is entering the third season of a seven-year, $106.5-million extension he signed in 2023. His deal includes a team option for 2030.
A native of Barquisimeto, Venezuela, Giménez was dealt to the Guardians by the New York Mets in 2021 as part of the package for Francisco Lindor.
There had been some conversation in Cleveland about moving Giménez to shortstop based on his defensive prowess at second, but the Guardians have opted to keep him at the keystone spot.
Sandlin is a 27-year-old right-hander who has pitched out of Cleveland's bullpen since 2021. He owns a career 3.27 ERA over 209 appearances.
In 2024, he threw 57.2 innings for the Guardians, collecting 68 strikeouts and a 3.75 ERA.
Standing five-foot-11, Sandlin uses a four-pitch mix, including a slider, fastball, sinker and splitter.
He is projected to make $1.6 million in arbitration.
Going the other way is Horwitz, 27, who broke out for the Blue Jays in 2024, posting a .265/.357/.433 slash line with 12 home runs and 40 RBIs in 97 games.
His .790 OPS ranked second of any Toronto hitter with over 100 plate appearances.
Horwitz was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 24th round of the 2019 draft out of Radford and became a developmental success, working his way to the majors through each level of Toronto's farm system.
The left-handed hitter made his MLB debut in 2023.
Defensively, Horwitz has spent most of his time at first base, but the Blue Jays had him work through multiple spots in the field as he approached the majors. After being promoted to the big leagues in June, Horwitz served as a part-time second baseman.
In 288 innings up the middle, he recorded minus-5 defensive runs saved, compared to minus-1 in 300.2 innings at first base.
Horwitz is still pre-arbitration, so he will be making the league minimum — or around that amount in 2025 and 2026. He is under team control through 2030.
Mitchell, 21, was a fourth-round selection by the Blue Jays in the 2024 draft. He slashed .289/.350/.467 with four home runs in 22 games at single-A Dunedin in his professional debut.
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