The Cleveland Guardians divided their fan base in two when they moved second baseman Andrés Giménez to the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night.
Nearly all fans will miss Giménez and agree that he was a true Guardian and a defensive wizard, but half of them were infuriated at the front office and the other half was happy that the team got rid of a lousy offensive second baseman with a huge contract.
They got Spencer Horwitz in return, who had a solid rookie season and an interesting profile, plus outfield prospect Nick Mitchell.
Horwitz would last about three hours on the Guardians, though.
The team flipped him to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for starting pitcher Luis L. Ortiz and pitching prospects Michael Kennedy and Josh Hartle.
“The #Guardians are acquiring LHPs Michael Kennedy and Josh Hartle, Pittsburgh’s No. 15 and No. 17 prospects, as part of the package for Spencer Horwitz, per @Feinsand,” MLB Pipeline posted on X.
The #Guardians are acquiring LHPs Michael Kennedy and Josh Hartle, Pittsburgh's No. 15 and No. 17 prospects, as part of the package for Spencer Horwitz, per @Feinsand.
More on the pair of southpaws: https://t.co/Hk1gAVdiaY pic.twitter.com/PJu0PkuaeP
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) December 11, 2024
Ortiz is a very nice get: young (25), talented (3.32 ERA in 135.2 innings pitched) and with a big arm and potential.
Carl Willis and the Guards’ pitching lab could work wonders with him and unlock more potential.
He is now a member of Cleveland’s rotation.
Kennedy and Hartle are a pair of lefties on a deep system, so they could have ranked near the top ten on most squads.
Kennedy was brilliant in Single-A and High-A, while Hartle is a 2024 third-rounder and barely pitched this season.
He is full of promise, though.
All things considered, the Guardians dealt Giménez and reliever Nick Sandlin for a young MLB-ready starter (Ortiz), two pitching prospects (Kennedy and Hartle) and an outfield prospect (Mitchell).
They flipped a replaceable reliever and a young defensive stud with clear offensive limitations for pitching help, got rid of a huge contract and replenished their farm system.
Many fans are hurting and sad to see Giménez go, which is very much understandable, but it was a masterful series of moves by Chris Antonetti.
NEXT: Insider Reveals Full Details Of The Andrés Giménez Trade
