The Toronto Blue Jays first major transaction of the 2024/25 off-season came on Dec. 10, 2024.
Shortly before the 2025 draft lottery, the Blue Jays sent Spencer Horwitz and prospect Nick Mitchell to the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for Andrés Giménez and Nick Sandlin. Later that day, the Guardians flipped Horwitz to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Luis Ortiz, Michael Kennedy, and Josh Hartle.
There was a lot of optimism that perhaps Giménez could return to the form he had in 2022 when he slashed .297/.371/.466 with 17 home runs in 557 plate appearances. His month of March was encouraging, as he hit three home runs in his first five games, but his play dropped like a rock from there.
As a whole, the second baseman slashed .210/.285/.313 with seven home runs in 369 plate appearances for a career-worst 70 wRC+. Giménez’s streak of winning the American League Gold Glove at second base came to an end, as he only played in 101 games. Still, his numbers were down across the board. Giménez had a .250 batting average or better in the three years before the trade to Toronto.
Though the numbers weren’t great, Giménez hit two massive home runs for the Blue Jays. One came on Canada Day of Max Fried, a three-run home run to give the Blue Jays a 4-2 lead. The Jays lost that lead before George Springer hit a grand slam, this game is when the Jays truly started to feel special.
Fast forward to the American League Championship Series, the Blue Jays lost the first two games of the series in Toronto, and headed to Seattle in a hole. A Julio Rodríguez two-run blast in the bottom of the first put the Jays in a deeper hole, but Giménez fired back with a two-run home run in the top of the third, kick-starting a five-run inning in a much-needed 13-4 win.
The Blue Jays second baseman did the exact same thing the following game. Jays were down thanks to an early home run, a lead off double eventually came in to score thanks to a two-run home run from Giménez, and the Jays eventually won 8-2.
Like Giménez, Sandlin spent much of the season injured, but didn’t pitch in the postseason. In 16.1 innings pitched, he had a 2.20 ERA (good) and 4.60 FIP (not so good). His last game came on Jul. 7 and he was outrighted early in the off-season and is currently a free agent.
Long-time readers know I’m very high on Horwitz thanks to his bat, so this trade wasn’t my favourite at the time. Horwitz missed the beginning of the season due to wrist surgery and had a slow start to his season, slashing .232/.298/.329 with two home runs in 181 plate appearances.
The first baseman made up for it in the second half, slashing .305/396/.520 with nine home runs in 230 plate appearances. His wRC+ jumped from 74 in the first half to 154 in the second half, giving him a season wRC+ of 119.
Mitchell was drafted by the Blue Jays in 2024, as they used the pick they received from Matt Chapman’s departure. The outfielder had a solid first season, slashing. 273/.386/.370 with two home runs in 365 plate appearances for a 122 wRC+, but hitting fewer home runs than he did in just 103 plate appearances in the Jays organization to end 2024.
Overall, it turned out to be a pretty good trade for the Blue Jays thanks to Giménez’s defence and finding offence from elsewhere in their lineup.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.