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The Guardians and infielder Andrés Giménez are finalizing a seven-year, $106.5MM extension. It comes with a $4MM signing bonus and has a $23MM possibility for 2030 with a $2.5MM buyout. There are additionally escalators that may take the worth of that choice to $24MM. The Guardians beforehand had management over Giménez for the following 4 years, which means that this deal buys out three free agent years and doubtlessly a fourth with the choice. Giménez is a consumer of Rep 1 Baseball.
Giménez, 24, started his skilled profession by signing with the Mets as a global newbie out of Venezuela. As he rose up the minors, he grew to become thought-about by many to be the highest prospect within the group and the most effective in the whole league. Baseball America had Giménez on its high 100 listing in 2018, 2019 and 2021. He made his main league debut within the shortened 2020 season, stepping into 49 video games and hitting .263/.333/.398 for a wRC+ of 105.
In January of 2021, Giménez got here to Cleveland alongside Amed Rosario as a part of the blockbuster commerce that despatched Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco to New York. Each Giménez and Rosario had been extremely touted shortstop prospects, with many on the time of that commerce contemplating Giménez to be the stronger defender. Initially of the 2021 season, Cleveland tried to have Giménez take over because the common shortstop, transferring Rosario to the outfield as César Hernández continued to play second base.
Sadly, Giménez didn’t hit the bottom working along with his new workforce. He was hitting simply .179/.226/.308 in the course of Might when the membership determined they wanted to make a change, optioning him right down to the minors. Rosario moved again to the shortstop place and has held onto that job since. Giménez, in the meantime, did properly sufficient in Triple-A to get recalled in August, taking up the second base place that was vacated when Hernández was traded to the White Sox, and hitting a good .245/.320/.382 down the stretch.
Many observers ignored each the Guardians and Giménez coming into 2022. That’s pretty forgivable, contemplating that the membership had a lackluster 80-82 file the yr earlier than and Giménez nonetheless appeared like a piece in progress. However each he and the workforce took super steps ahead final yr. He hit 17 residence runs and stole 20 bases, whereas additionally slicing his strikeout fee to twenty.1% in comparison with a 25.7% fee the yr prior. His ultimate batting line of .297/.371/.466 amounted to a wRC+ of 140, indicating he was 40% higher than the league common hitter.
He additionally received glorious grades for his protection, hardly stunning given his pedigree as a superb shortstop prospect. He garnered +16 Defensive Runs Saved, +12 Outs Above Common and a +6.5 grade from Final Zone Score on the keystone final yr, with all three of these numbers rating him second within the majors on the place. Solely Jonathan Schoop bested him in OAA whereas Brendan Rodgers topped the opposite two classes. Giménez additionally received constructive grades when protecting shortstop for Rosario once in a while. Based mostly on his all-around contributions, he was thought-about to be price 6.1 wins above substitute by FanGraphs and seven.4 by Baseball Reference, with each of these numbers inserting him within the high 15 amongst all place gamers within the league.
Giménez has between two and three years of MLB service time, which means he had but to qualify for arbitration and the Guardians had management over his rights via the tip of the 2026 season. The Guardians don’t sometimes run large payrolls or make large splashes in free company, so extending youthful gamers to be able to hold them on the roster has lengthy been their modus operandi. Over time, they’ve given extensions to gamers like Corey Kluber and Jason Kipnis, whereas extra lately giving extensions to gamers like José Ramírez (twice), Emmanuel Clase and Myles Straw.
There’s threat on this path, because it typically includes taking an opportunity on a participant that’s not totally established. On this case, the Guards are making a agency dedication to a participant that actually solely has one good season. Nevertheless, it will enable them to maintain him round via his age-30 or age-31 season, preserving him in Cleveland for what ought to be his prime years. Giménez, in the meantime, provides up some future free agent incomes energy however will get to place some critical cash in his checking account one yr forward of schedule, whereas additionally locking in a life-changing nine-figure assure.
Whereas it’s potential Giménez sticks at second base going ahead, there’s additionally the potential for him transferring again over to shortstop. Rosario is in his ultimate arbitration yr and is slated free of charge company a number of months from now. The Guardians have additionally discussed an extension with Rosario however haven’t concluded something there simply but, leaving open the potential for Giménez transferring to the opposite facet of the bag subsequent yr. The membership additionally has many highly-touted infield prospects within the system, together with Brayan Rocchio, Tyler Freeman and others. Giménez appears completely able to manning both spot, giving the membership loads of choices going ahead. Both means, he figures to be a fixture of the lineup in Cleveland for a few years to return.
Zack Meisel of The Athletic reported earlier immediately that the membership was in “superior negotiations” with a number of gamers, together with Giménez. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that Giménez and the membership had been finalizing a long-term deal. Efraín Zavarce of IVC Networks first reported the seven years, $106.5MM assure and $4MM signing bonus. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that there was a $23MM membership possibility for 2030 with a $2.5MM buyout and escalators that would push it to $24MM.
Picture courtesy of USA As we speak Sports activities.
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