Andrés Giménez will earn $23 million from the Blue Jays in 2027, and critics call his contract one of the hardest to move in baseball. The glove tells a different story.

The deal was originally a seven-year, $106.5 million contract signed with Cleveland. It runs through 2029.

The bat is the problem. He hit .244 with a 78 OPS+ over 148 games in 2026.

His first year in Toronto was worse, with a .210 average and a 65 OPS+ across 101 games.

He hasn't been an above-average hitter since 2022. That was his All-Star season in Cleveland, when he posted 7.4 bWAR.

So was the trade a mistake? Not if you watched him play shortstop.

Andrés Giménez anchored a Team Gold Glove defence at shortstop

He led Toronto with 16 Fielding Run Value in 2026, second-best in the AL. He also made a smooth transition back to shortstop after years at second.

That glove was the backbone of a club that won the AL Team Gold Glove.

The Jays also gave up relatively little to get him. Spencer Horwitz and Nick Mitchell went to Cleveland, with Nick Sandlin coming back as part of the deal.

Calling this a failed trade misses the point. The Jays didn't acquire Giménez to carry the lineup, they acquired him to save runs, and he's doing exactly that.

He's like an expensive insurance policy. You never love paying the premium, but you're grateful every time it covers a disaster.

That doesn't mean the bat can be ignored. His .293 on-base percentage over the past three years is a real issue.

Adding more offence elsewhere is the fix. If Toronto lands Seiya Suzuki or Brandon Lowe, Giménez can hit ninth and focus on what he does best.

The contract will never look like a bargain. But with Ross Atkins building around defence and pitching, Giménez's value goes far beyond the box score.