"Blue Jays better than Yankees";"Mets fleeced Francisco Lindor trade" - Fans react as Guardians trade Andres Gimenez to Toronto

The Toronto Blue Jays made their first major offseason acquisition with a trade for Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez.

MLB insider Jeff Passan broke the news on X before the trade was officially finalized, leaving fans puzzled by the Guardians’ decision to part with Gimenez.

Andres Gimenez debuted in the majors with the New York Mets before being traded to Cleveland ahead of the following season. He earned an All-Star nod in 2022 and finished sixth in the American League MVP race that year.

Known as an elite defender, Gimenez has won three consecutive Gold Gloves. However, his offensive production has declined significantly over the past two seasons.

As per reports, the deal is part of a four-player trade. The Guardians sent Giménez and right-handed reliever Nick Sandlin to the Blue Jays in exchange for infielder Spencer Horwitz and outfield prospect Nick Mitchell.

Many fans believe the Blue Jays got the better end of the trade. One fan said on X (formerly Twitter):

"Blue Jays already better than the Yankees."

"Mets fleeced the Lindor trade," one fan added.

"Finally, the Blue Jays make a move," another fan said.

Many fans questioned the Guardians' move to trade away Andres Gimenez.

"What is Cleveland doing?" asked one fan.

"100% a win for the Blue Jays," another fan wrote.

"Cleveland trading their best young guys so they don’t have pay him," another fan tweeted.

Gimenez signed a seven-year, $106 million extension with Cleveland at the start of the 2023 season. His annual salary is set to increase from $5.5 million to $10.5 million in 2025.

Declining offensive production of Andres Gimenez

Andres Gimenez won three Gold Gloves as the second baseman for the Guardians (Image Source: Imagn)

Andres Gimenez brings significant value to any team with his defensive prowess in the infield. He is one of just 13 players to accumulate four or more bWAR in each of the past three seasons. Gimenez also ranks in the top 10 for bWAR during that span, primarily due to his glove work.

However, his production with the bat has dropped drastically over the past two seasons. Gimenez batted .297/.371/.466 with a 141 OPS+ during his breakout 2022 campaign, despite hitting only 17 home runs.

This year, his numbers fell to a .252/.298/.340 slash line with nine home runs and a modest 82 OPS+. Despite this, he remains a threat on the basepaths, recording 80 stolen bases over the last three seasons.