Blue Jays acquire Giménez, Sandlin in trade with Cleveland

The Toronto Blue Jays made their first big move of the winter by acquiring infielder Andres Giménez and reliever Nick Sandlin from the Cleveland Guardians in a deal involving Spencer Horwitz.

Outfield prospect Nick Mitchell will also go to Cleveland.

Hours after acquiring Horwitz, the Guardians traded him to Pittsburgh in a package for multiple pitchers.

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.

Giménez is entering the third season of a seven-year, $106.5-million extension he signed in 2023. He will earn $10.5 million next season. His deal includes a team option for 2030.

“Really exciting player that’s going to be a big impact for us,” Blue Jays general manager 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, and that is absolutely proven. [We’re] excited about that athleticism coming onto our field.”

According to Sportsnet Stats, Giménez has the fourth-highest Wins Above Replacement (WAR) as calculated by FanGraphs, among second basemen since 2022.

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.

He is projected to make $1.6 million in arbitration.

Horwitz flipped to Pittsburgh

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. He will make the league minimum — or around that amount in 2025 and 2026. He is under team control through 2030.

Horwitz will instead join the Pirates after Pittsburgh joined in on the deal. The 27-year-old will reunite with former Blue Jays hitting coordinator Matt Hague, who the Pirates hired as the hitting coach, and current Pirates general manager Ben Cherington, who spent years in the Blue Jays front office.

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.