DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Andrés Giménez calls himself the new kid in school.
Everyone knows his name, but he has had to catch up. Everyone knows that he’s one of the most gifted defenders in the sport -- an infield Daulton Varsho -- but he has had to learn everyone’s routines, everyone’s personalities, what their “thing” is.
Much like Varsho’s arrival, we already know that Giménez is a valuable big leaguer on the strength of his glove alone. It’s his offense, which peaked in 2022 and led to that seven-year extension with Cleveland, that will determine whether Giménez is a good addition or a great one. By trading for Giménez, the Blue Jays are making one big bet on his offense bouncing back.
“It’s been working,” Giménez said. “I’ve been hitting the ball a lot harder than last year. I don’t have the results right now, but Spring Training is to focus on the process and be ready for the season. I’m obviously hitting the ball harder, though, and that’s a positive for me because last year I was not that type of guy. I’ve been asking questions to great hitters like [Vladimir Guerrero Jr.], Bo [Bichette] and Anthony [Santander].”
You can hear some genuine excitement in manager John Schneider’s voice when he speaks about Giménez. The Blue Jays think they can help him unlock that upside again. They think it’s right there, waiting for him.
“In talking to [hitting coach] David Popkins right when we acquired him, comparing what he’s done in the past to what he did last year, I think he’s right where we’d hoped he’d be,” Schneider said.
“With his mechanics, you see a little bit more of a hip coil as opposed to just getting his foot down and being more contact-oriented. His exit velocity, you look at it and he’s hitting the ball hard. He can move the ball forward with two strikes, but it’s about taking some shots when he can in those counts.”
Baserunning is another reason the Blue Jays fell in love with Giménez. This goes back to the Winter Meetings in Dallas last December. Each day, leading up to the day the Blue Jays acquired Giménez, either Schneider or GM Ross Atkins spoke about the importance of better baserunning in 2025.
This is why Schneider wants to keep Giménez right in front of Alejandro Kirk in the Blue Jays’ lineup. When Giménez reaches base, he’ll have one of the team’s most reliable contact bats behind him with the freedom to run wild.
“That’s the type of player I am,” Giménez said. “I can play the game in different ways. I can run, I can play defense, I can hit. If I can be on base a little more, I can use my speed, and I know that’s part of my game. It’s going to help the team win and give Alejandro the best chance to get some RBIs.”
These are all toppings on the sundae, though.
Giménez is a pitcher’s dream. Kevin Gausman joked recently that for every Varsho highlight in 2024, he was the pitcher on the mound being saved. Now, he has another perennial Gold Glove Award candidate standing behind him.
“When I’m going good, I’m wearing out that second baseman,” Gausman said. “If I can have a guy who can come in on a ball and go get those balls in the four hole, then Vladdy doesn’t have to do as much over there, and he can protect the line a bit. Bringing him in, his level of defensive talent is off the charts. With the shifts, not being able to shift as much, you need a second baseman who can play like a shortstop.”
That’s how Giménez will introduce himself to a new market and a new fan base. He can change a game defensively. You’ll hear so many of the same things said about Giménez that you’ve heard about Varsho and Kevin Kiermaier in recent years, right down to the jokes about how many runs they robbed from the Blue Jays before joining them.
He’s fitting right in, too. Giménez joins the team with his fellow Venezuelan star, Santander, and has been glued to Guerrero and Bichette. Those two have shown him around the only complex and only organization they’ve ever known, helping Giménez settle in after such an unexpected move.
“I feel like I’ve been here my whole life,” Giménez said.