Article: Could Andrés Giménez End up as the Blue Jays’ Shortstop?

[Peter Snow]

More importantly, should Andrés Giménez end up as the Blue Jays’ shortstop?

Andrés Giménez joins the Blue Jays as an acclaimed defender at second base. He’s won the last three Gold Gloves in the American League, the last two Fielding Bible Awards, and a Platinum Glove. Advanced metrics love his defense. Statcast had him at 19 Outs Above Average (OAA) in 2024, tied with Marcus Semien for best in baseball among second basemen. According to Sports Info Solutions, Giménez was worth 20 Defensive Runs Saved, second-most in baseball. He also stands up to the eye test, earning rave reviews for his work in Cleveland. The Blue Jays have prioritized defense in recent years, and Giménez fits those plans perfectly. 

For 2025, at least, the Jays can expect strong play at second base. Giménez’s elite defending is important because of the glaring weakness at shortstop. Bo Bichette missed half of 2024, and when he was in the lineup, his defense graded out somewhere between average and bad. He’s had some stretches of good defense, so it’s not like he’s incapable of playing the position, but whether through trade, free agency, or poor play, he may not be the long-term solution at shortstop. Ernie Clement graded out as the superior shortstop last year, although he will spend most of his time at third where he was worth 3 OAA last year. It’s worth asking whether Giménez could stabilize this premium defensive position. 

From 2020-2022, Giménez played 634 1/3 innings at short (along with 1334.2 at second). In fact, he spent much of his minor league career as a shortstop in the Mets system. Given his defensive skills, it made sense to play him there, and when Cleveland acquired him for Francisco Lindor, he was expected to be a direct replacement for the All-Star shortstop the Guardians were losing. In his first two years in Cleveland, he graded out as an above-average shortstop in limited action. In 2021, he recorded 4 OAA which tied for 13th among all players with 300 innings at short. However, 300 innings is hardly enough to draw any reasonable conclusions, and in the next season he was limited to just 130 innings when Cleveland decided to make him their regular second baseman. He rewarded them with 12 OAA at second, and 1 OAA at short. Over the last two seasons, he has dominated, earned all those accolades, and established himself as the best second baseman in MLB, if not the best overall defender. But could he be even more valuable to the Blue Jays at shortstop? Given that his defensive metrics have remained stable, and he grades out well on Statcast measurements, it could be worth an experiment. 

There is a case to be made that he should move to shortstop now. According to Statcast, his average throw is 86.6, more than three ticks above Bichette’s 83.3 mark and comparable to other top-end shortstops. He has elite range both to his left and his right, and he is already well-acquainted with shortstop. It’s possible that he would elevate an already excellent Blue Jays defense. It’s worth considering the additional value he could bring even if his play drops off some after the transition. According to most definitions of WAR, the average second baseman would save three fewer runs on defense were they to move to short, so even with a drop in play, Giménez could still be more valuable at short. Many players who play both positions, but none who have Giménez’s credentials. The Blue Jays’ options at second aren’t great, but it’s an easier position to fill. If the team does not extend Bichette, it would be hard for them to find a better shortstop through free agency or trade. 

The Blue Jays brought in Giménez to solidify their infield defense and improve a position that’s been a significant weakness for the past few seasons. They may also have created an opportunity to gain a huge upgrade at a premium position.

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[Eat My Shatkins]

It's too bad Bichette had such a terrible 2024. Since the reports he has no interest in staying in Toronto, it'd be nice to trade him for a haul and move Giminez to SS but Bo's value must be in the crapper for the time being.

He's probably a tough guy to trade at the best of times, because I doubt many teams would want to bring him in to be their SS even if he was hitting well, but he seems pretty determined to stay a SS for now.

[saskjayfan]

Outs above average had him at plus 1 last year.  He was -3 the year before.  Bo is a long ways from the best short stop in the league, but he's far from a liability at the position.  He is a close to average defensive short stop.  He can handle the position just fine if he's got an OPS north of .800.

[Peter Snow]

45 minutes ago, saskjayfan said:

Outs above average had him at plus 1 last year.  He was -3 the year before.  Bo is a long ways from the best short stop in the league, but he's far from a liability at the position.  He is a close to average defensive short stop.  He can handle the position just fine if he's got an OPS north of .800.

You're absolutely right, Bo is an adequate, average shortstop. If he is hitting well, then he's absolutely fine to stay there. If he's not hitting then it's probably worth exploring better options at short. If he doesn't bounce back it's going to be harder and harder to justify his average defense. If you look at someone like Javy Baez who is an above average shortstop and an abysmal hitter, he's mostly in the lineup for his contract, and his defense. Now Bo hasn't sunk to that level, and there are hopes he will recapture his form, but it's a tougher argument after last season. There are a lot of "ifs" around him this year. 

[Peter Snow]

1 hour ago, Eat My Shatkins said:

It's too bad Bichette had such a terrible 2024. Since the reports he has no interest in staying in Toronto, it'd be nice to trade him for a haul and move Giminez to SS but Bo's value must be in the crapper for the time being.

He's probably a tough guy to trade at the best of times, because I doubt many teams would want to bring him in to be their SS even if he was hitting well, but he seems pretty determined to stay a SS for now.

I'ts definitely worth discussing player comfort and preference for positions. I couldn't find any comments from Giménez about his feelings on playing second versus short. Bo does seem to prefer shortstop, and when he was a superstar hitter he had the leverage to make his case. 

[Laika]

3 hours ago, saskjayfan said:

Outs above average had him at plus 1 last year.  He was -3 the year before.  Bo is a long ways from the best short stop in the league, but he's far from a liability at the position.  He is a close to average defensive short stop.  He can handle the position just fine if he's got an OPS north of .800.

This is putting some recency glaze on him though. He was a disaster by every metric in 2022. He has -15.4 UZR and -18 OAA in his career, in what is essentially four full MLB seasons. 

He is also 27, likely no longer improving on D and probably getting worse going forward. What will all the leg injuries do to his range? 

Not many teams want a -4 shortstop. Some will tolerate it if he is an exceptional hitter. 

[Terminator]

2 hours ago, Peter Snow said:

I'ts definitely worth discussing player comfort and preference for positions. I couldn't find any comments from Giménez about his feelings on playing second versus short. Bo does seem to prefer shortstop, and when he was a superstar hitter he had the leverage to make his case. 

I'd leave it the way it is this year. Gimenez will just pile up the OAA at 2B and Bo will probably be below average at SS.

But if you swap them, Gimenez probably takes a hit and there's no guarantee that Bo automatically turns into a good 2B. Could be a learning curve there.

[Spanky99]

I believe Gimenez is the plan beyond '25 to play SS... 😜

[Abomination]

1 hour ago, Spanky99 said:

I believe Gimenez is the plan beyond '25 to play SS... 😜

I'm not sure there is a plan. I think the front office pounced on the opportunity to get a well above average player at a reasonable cost. His versatility means they can plop him wherever they need to. I actually suspect he may end up playing 3rd (as things currently stand).

[Laika]

1 hour ago, Spanky99 said:

I believe Gimenez is the plan beyond '25 to play SS... 😜

Yeah almost certainly.

It is funny. Everyone and their grandma wanted the Jays to buy a slugging LF this offseason for 2025 and instead they bought a light hitting shortstop for 2026 on... 

Gimenez is their best player per ZiPS. The trade could end up being such a massive win if he is close to that 3.9 WAR projection and then he becomes the team's shortstop for half a decade. 

[Peter Snow]

1 hour ago, Abomination said:

I'm not sure there is a plan. I think the front office pounced on the opportunity to get a well above average player at a reasonable cost. His versatility means they can plop him wherever they need to. I actually suspect he may end up playing 3rd (as things currently stand).

He certainly has the arm to play third base. He hasn't really played there before but given his elite skillset I'm sure he could make the adjustment. 

[Jimcanuck]

Just hoping Gimenez is as good as Ryan Goins.

[max silver]

1 hour ago, Jimcanuck said:

Just hoping Gimenez is as good as Ryan Goins.