The 2024-25 MLB offseason isn’t over yet.
There are still impactful bats and arms available via free agency and trade.
It’s safe to say the bulk of additions are now behind us, though.
We have, by now, a pretty good idea of which teams did the most to improve and which moves have been considered the best and most impressive.
With that in mind, a group of analysts were discussing their favorite offseason transactions and the Cleveland Guardians came up.
You will remember when the Guardians decided to trade second baseman Andrés Giménez a few weeks ago, on Dec. 11 to be more specific.
That specific trade was extremely divisive among Guardians fans: some loved it, but others hated it.
Well, most media members saw the value in getting rid of Giménez, a flawed hitter but a game-changing defensive player, to add more pitching, gain some financial flexibility, and score a prospect or two.
Mike Axisa of CBS Sports explained why he is a fan of the move.
“I loved the Guardians unloading the $96.5 million they owed Andrés Giménez on the Blue Jays, then flipping Spencer Horwitz for Luis Ortiz and two pitching prospects. That was some nifty tradecraft. It’s too bad that Cleveland didn’t reinvest the Giménez savings into anything significant,” Axisa said.
Ortiz has a big arm and is young and cheap.
He posted a 3.32 ERA with the Pittsburgh Pirates last year and is now entering an elite organization when it comes to pitching development.
He might be the Guards’ third or fourth starter now, but has top-of-the-rotation potential.
We talk about Ortiz even though Giménez was originally traded for Spencer Horwitz, but it’s because the latter was almost immediately flipped to Pittsburgh in exchange for Ortiz and two prospects.
Considering that there were almost $100 million left on Giménez’s deal and he has regressed considerably with the bat, the money saved makes it even sweeter.
Axisa does point out, correctly, that the team has yet to reinvest the money.
There will still be opportunities to do that, though, by signing someone, absorbing an expensive player via trade, or extending homegrown talent.
NEXT: Guardians Relief Pitching Prospect Gets Ready For Pivotal Season
