Andrés Giménez keeps finding himself in the middle of things, even when the bat isn’t cooperating.
That was true in last year’s postseason with Toronto, when he wasn’t exactly steady at the plate - he hit .215 - but still managed to leave a mark. He handled his usual strong defense, launched two home runs and even sparked a benches-clearing moment in Game 7 of the World Series after being hit by a pitch by Justin Wrobleski in the fourth inning.
This season, though, his name is coming up for a very different reason. Giménez has become one of the central figures in the Blue Jays’ fight with the Guardians for the American League Wild Card spot, and not because he’s carrying Toronto’s offense.
He entered Tuesday with a .652 OPS in 140 games, which ranked eighth-worst among qualified players in baseball. That kind of production is hard to stomach for any team, but it looks even worse when paired with the money attached to it. Giménez is making $15.5 million this season and is owed $23.5 million in each of the next three years.
The strange part is that Cleveland may not have won the trade that sent Giménez away, at least not with Luis Ortiz’s alleged pitch-rigging hanging over the return. But the Guardians also haven’t lost it, which is an odd place for a deal like that to land.
Giménez is the perfect snapshot of his season: elite glove, empty bat. He sits in the 99th percentile in Outs Above Average with 19 and looks headed for another Gold Glove, yet he’s also been one of the least effective hitters in the sport.
The Guardians committed to him after his breakout 2022 season, giving him a seven-year, $106.5 million extension after he hit .297 with 17 home runs. Since then, though, he has hit just .243 in 546 games, and that stretch makes it look like 2022 was more burst than baseline.
That’s why Cleveland was willing to move on and send him to Toronto. The complication is that the main big-league piece from that return is Ortiz, who made 16 starts for the Guardians before getting pulled into Emmanuel Clase’s pitch-rigging scheme. Ortiz has been on the restricted list since last June and is scheduled to go to trial in November.
There’s another layer to the deal as well. Ortiz was technically acquired in a separate trade with the Pirates, but that move was made after the Guardians sent Spencer Horwitz - the player they had received for Giménez - to Pittsburgh.
Toronto had a chance to jump past Cleveland for the final AL Wild Card spot on Monday, but it blew a late lead against the Tigers. Giménez went 1-for-4 in that game and struck out twice.
With both clubs squeezed by the standings, every missed opportunity matters. And Giménez’s offense, or lack of it, could wind up being the piece that tips this race.
In Other News...
Guardians Suddenly Have A George Valera Decision To Make
George Valeras season has turned into a study in patience for the Guardians. The outfielder opened 2026 on the injured list with a calf injury, then was optioned to Triple-A after a slow start in the majors, leaving him to rebuild his case the old-fashioned way. Since late July, he has done exactly that, putting together a strong stretch at the plate in the minors and keeping his name in the conversation even as the big-league roster moved on without him.
The recent surge has pushed a real decision onto Clevelands front office and player development group. Some observers are already talking about a possible return to the major league roster, and the question is not just when Valera might get another look, but how the Guardians handle the 40-man roster if they want to make room. For a player who has answered with production after a rocky start, the next move now feels like it could say as much about the organizations timeline as it does about Valeras future. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Got The Response They Needed In A Tight Division Race
In a tight division race, the Guardians needed a clean response at Progressive Field, and they got one in a 5-3 win over the Athletics. Jose Ramirez and Travis Bazzana delivered the big swings, with Ramirez also reaching his 1,000th career RBI, while Joey Cantillo gave Cleveland exactly the kind of stabilizing effort it needed by working six scoreless innings in relief.
The result nudged Cleveland to 79-75 and kept the pressure on in a stretch where every game feels bigger than the last. It was the kind of night that showed how the Guardians can still win different ways, with veteran punch, a timely contribution from a younger bat and a bullpen bridge that held firm when the game could have slipped. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Bullpen Depth Tested Again As Colin Holderman Hits Another Snag
Colin Holdermans return from the injured list has run into another detour, with the right-hander pulled from his latest rehab appearance because of wrist discomfort. The Guardians are still trying to sort out what comes next for the pitcher, who has been sidelined since Sept. 4 with wrist inflammation, and his status only adds to a bullpen picture that has already been asked to absorb plenty of uncertainty.
Holderman had been pitching well before the injury, but his season has not been as steady since midseason, when the wrist issue may have started to show up in his performance. For Cleveland, the concern is not just about one rehab outing going sideways, but about how much longer they may have to wait before getting a clearer read on whether he can help down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]