Guardians, Andrés Giménez agree to seven-year, $106.5 million extension

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Cleveland Guardians and second baseman Andrés Giménez have agreed to terms on a seven-year, $106.5 million deal that includes a team option.

Giménez was the centerpiece of 2021’s Francisco Lindor trade with the Mets, and so far he hasn’t disappointed. After a slow debut season in Cleveland in which he slashed .218/.282/.351 and required a trip back down to Triple-A, Giménez broke out with an All-Star, Gold Glove campaign at second base last year. He slashed .297/.371/.466 with a 140 wRC+ and a career-high 17 home runs, cementing himself as the second baseman of the future and ultimately landing a $100-plus million payday.

The deal, first reported by Efraín Zavarce, is for $106.5 million over seven years, starting next season. Further details added by Jeff Passan confirm that the deal also includes a club option for the 2031 season, which could effectively buy out five of Giménez’s free-agent years and keep him in Cleveland through his age-32 season (though Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the deal starts this season and the option is for 2030, so we might have to wait until the deal is officially announced to know for sure).

Last year’s MLB lockout pushed things back a bit, but the Guardians announced several extensions right around Opening Day. José Ramírez, Myles Straw, and Emmanuel Clase were all extended shortly before or after the newly minted Guardians opened the season on April 7, 2022. With Opening Day 2023 a mere two days away, this might not be the last extension we see this year. Zack Meisel has also reported that the Guardians are in “advanced negotiations” with several players, including Amed Rosario, Triston McKenzie, Steven Kwan, and Trevor Stephan.

Buckle. Up.