What's Next For The Guardians Following Blue Jays, Pirates Trades?

The Cleveland Guardians has some critical decisions to make in the aftermath of the Andres Gimenez trade.

Aug 9, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez (0) looks on during the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images | Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians had been eerily quiet at the start of the Winter Meetings. Then, out of nowhere, they traded Andres Gimenez to the Toronto Blue Jays and quickly flipped the key piece of that trade, Spencer Horwitz, to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

At the end of all the transactions, the Guardians acquired minor league outfielder Nick Mitchell, pitching prospects Josh Hartle and Michael Kennedy, and major league pitcher Luis Ortiz.

What's next for the Guardians following this pair of trades?

Continue To Add

One of the most intriguing parts of this deal is the money the Guardians got off the books by moving on from Gimenez. He's owed roughly $96.5 million through the 2029 season with a $23 million team option for 2030.

The Guardians are no longer on the hook for that, but Cleveland can't be complacent about moving on from Gimenez without making any more moves.

The front office must find ways to re-invest that money elsewhere to improve the roster.

This reinvestment could come in the form of a free agent signing, such as another starting pitcher or outfield bat.

Another option could be using that freed-up salary flexibility to explore contract extensions with some of their key pieces, such as Steven Kwan and Tanner Bibee.

Either direction the Guardians choose to take would make sense, but they can't do nothing.

Nov 10, 2023; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti, middle, talks to the media during an introductory press conference for new manager Stephen Vogt at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Who's The Guardians' Second Baseman?

Gimenez is a three-time Gold Glove winner and a former Platinum winner. There's no one better defensibly at second than him, and his departure does leave a void in Cleveland's current lineup.

Stephen Vogt and the front office now have to decide on who will be their second baseman moving forward. On the bright side, Cleveland does have multiple middle infielders to choose from internally.

Some of the obvious candidates to take over there are Angel Martinez and Juan Brito.

It's hard to imagine Travis Bazzana starting there on Opening Day in 2025, but he's certainly an option down the line as well.

---

It's hard to envision the Guardians' front office being done making moves this offseason.

There should be an open roster spot once the dust settles from their recent moves (including the reported Shane Bieber signing), and there are multiple different directions Cleveland could go in to fill that spot.

Whatever move they make, it'll likely be a direct result of the series of trades they made on Tuesday night.