MLB analyst drops bold prediction on Bo Bichette in light of Andres Gimenez acquisition from Cleveland Guardians

Andres Gimenez was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays from the Cleveland Guardians in December. He is arguably the best defensive second baseman in the league with three Gold Gloves under his belt in the last three years.

As per Trevor Plouffe on the Baseball Today podcast with Chris Rose, Gimenez's addition to the Toronto diamond will immensely help shortstop Bo Bichette. The young SS had a below par season in 2024 and is looking to get back into All-Star callibre form. As per Plouffe, Gimenez's partnership will significantly hone Bichette's skills.

"Gimenez pairing up with Bo Bichette is going to be the best thing for Bichette's career. Working with that guy, they're going to have to spend time together in spring training to get right. A shortstop and second baseman have to develop a rapport together through that work. I guarantee you, Bichette is going to have his best defensive year of his career this year just from working with Andres Gimenez," Plouffe said. [8:47]

Bo Bichette currently is projected to be on the trade block for the Blue Jays. The 26-year-old will head into free agency after the conclusion of the 2025 season and with the team firmly focussed on re-signing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. who has a similar trajectory next winter, it is likely that Bichette's performances on the field will determine his stay in Toronto.

Andres Gimenez looking to improve "mental part of the game" alongside on-field game in Toronto

For Andres Gimenez, his defense seems to be his USP. But to be continuously successful in the league, players need all-round abilities in all departments and mental strength to keep performing at the highest level. This is what Gimenez hoped for while speaking after he joined the new club.

“I just try to learn something every single day. I feel like that's going to take you to the level that you want,” Giménez said. “It can be on defence, it can be the mental part of the game. Just get one per cent better every single day. I got to the big leagues really young. But always with the desire to learn something every single day.”

Gimenez hit a decent .252 average in 2024 but his power game was particularly weak with just nine home runs all season. He struggled with the fastballs, averaging just .160 with an SLG of .180 and 33.3 % hard-hit rate.