Blue Jays Acquire Andrés Giménez From Guardians In Four-Player Deal
Image credit: Andrés Giménez (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
On Tuesday, the Guardians announced a trade with the Blue Jays that will send all-star second baseman Andrés Giménez to Toronto. The Blue Jays had multiple internal options at second base in Will Wagner and others but felt their best course of action was acquiring the three-time gold glove winner.
Blue Jays Receive
Andrés Giménez, 2B
Age: 28
The Guardians acquired Giménez in the Francisco Lindor trade with the Mets. Over his three seasons in Cleveland, he hit .261/.321/.393 with a 102 wRC+. Giménez has won three consecutive Gold Gloves at second base and was an all-star in 2022 after hitting .297/.371/.466. The following season, Giménez signed a seven-year extension worth $106.5 million. There are still five years remaining on the deal at an annual value of $15.2 million. If Giménez can recapture his 2022 production, he could be a nice asset for a Blue Jays lineup that lacked depth and support. Giménez is an upgrade at the position, as seven different players saw time at second base for the Blue Jays last season. He has strong contact skills, but an aggressive, free-swinging approach has limited his offensive production over the past two seasons.
Nick Sandlin, RHP
Age: 27
Taken in the second round of the 2018 draft out of Southern Mississippi, Sandlin has made 209 appearances for the Guardians over the last four seasons. In 2024, he made a career-high 68 appearances, pitching to a 3.75 ERA with eight holds, a save and three blown saves. Sandlin mixes two fastball variants in his four-seam and sinker, as well as a slider and splitter. The splitter grades out as a plus pitch per metrics and is a swing-and-miss for Sandlin. A reliever capable of being used regularly, his reverse splits make him a lefty-killer. Sandlin has two years of control following the 2025 season.
Guardians Receive
Spencer Horwitz, 1B/2B
Age: 27
The Blue Jays drafted Horwitz in the 24th round of the 2019 draft out of Radford, and over the last two years, he’s developed into one of the top young hitters in the Blue Jays system. A late bloomer, Horwitz debuted in the majors at age 26, and he hit .265/.357/.433 with 12 home runs over 97 games, good enough for a 127 wRC+. Horwitz saw the majority of his time at first base but also got a significant amount of time at second. In the minors, he also played some corner outfield, providing the Guardians some positional versatility and another lefthanded hitter with advanced plate skills.
Nick Mitchell, OF
Age: 21
A 2024 fourth-round supplemental pick, Mitchell had a strong showing in his pro debut, hitting .289/.350/.467 with four home runs over 22 games in Low-A. He was a young college-eligible player, as he was just 20 years old on draft day. After two seasons at Western Illinois, Mitchell transferred to Indiana. Prior to arriving on campus, he put together a strong Cape Cod League campaign for Hyannis, showing solid plate skills with some athleticism. Mitchell has seen the majority of his time defensively in right field and center field. An above-average runner, he has the ability to play all three outfield positions at an above-average level.
