Andrés Giménez is heading into 2026 with a fresh role, a clean bill of health, and a whole lot to prove.
The 27-year-old left-handed middle infielder joined the Blue Jays via a December 2024 trade with Cleveland, a deal that also brought reliever Nick Sandlin to Toronto in exchange for Spencer Horwitz and prospect Nick Mitchell. Horwitz, for his part, didn’t stick around long-he was quickly flipped to Pittsburgh, where he quietly put together a solid season, slashing .272/.353/.434 with 11 home runs and a 1.6 bWAR while holding down first base. Not flashy, but steady.
Mitchell, the prospect in the deal, showed some promise in the Guardians’ system. He played 85 games across three levels-rookie ball through High-A-and posted a .273/.386/.370 line with 30 stolen bases. That kind of on-base ability and speed combo is intriguing, even if FanGraphs currently ranks him just 36th among Cleveland’s top 46 prospects.
But the centerpiece of this trade from Toronto’s perspective was always Giménez. The bat didn’t light up the stat sheet in 2025-he hit just .210/.285/.313 with seven home runs over 101 games-but there’s important context behind those numbers.
He missed a combined 54 games due to a pair of leg injuries: 23 with quad tightness and another 31 with an ankle sprain. It was the first time he’d landed on the injured list since his rookie season with the Mets in 2020.
And when he returned, it was clear he wasn’t quite moving the same.
Still, even in a down year at the plate, Giménez found ways to contribute. His defense at second base was elite-no exaggeration.
FanGraphs credited him with 10 Outs Above Average, second-best in the majors at the position, despite playing roughly half a season’s worth of games there. That’s the kind of glove work that wins games and turns pitchers into believers.
Now, here’s where things get interesting: Giménez is expected to shift to shortstop this season. It’s a natural question-can he maintain that same defensive excellence at a more demanding position?
Based on what we saw during the postseason, there’s reason for optimism. He looked smooth, confident, and capable.
His arm strength isn’t a concern, and unlike some second basemen who move over and get exposed, Giménez has the tools to handle short. A Gold Glove-caliber season at the position isn’t out of the question.
Offensively, though, the Jays need more. After a red-hot start-he homered in three of his first five games while inexplicably batting cleanup-Giménez cooled off hard.
From that point on, he managed just a .169/.247/.200 line in the four-hole. It was one of several head-scratching lineup decisions last season, but perhaps the most baffling.
Cleanup isn’t where you stash a glove-first middle infielder who’s scuffling at the plate, no matter how well he started.
The hope now is that, with the leg issues behind him, Giménez can get back to being the dynamic, all-around threat he’s shown flashes of in the past. He stole just 12 bases last year-down from 30 in each of the two previous seasons-but if he regains his lower-body explosiveness, that number should climb. And frankly, it’s hard to imagine him hitting much worse than he did in 2025.
There’s also a clear platoon split to consider. Giménez hit .221/.301/.329 against righties but just .175/.233/.263 against left-handers. The Jays did some platooning with him at second, but that’s less likely to happen now that he’s penciled in as the everyday shortstop.
Projection systems like Steamer are cautiously optimistic. They peg him for 134 games, a .253/.311/.384 slash line, 12 homers, and 18 steals. That’s not going to make anyone forget Bo Bichette, but it’s a step in the right direction-especially if the glove remains elite.
Bottom line: Andrés Giménez doesn’t need to be a star to make a big impact. If he stays healthy, plays Gold Glove-level defense at short, and gets back to being at least a league-average hitter, the Jays will have a valuable piece up the middle.
And if the bat ticks up even a little more? Then we’re talking about one of the more complete shortstops in the American League.