The Cleveland Guardians need more from Andres Gimenez in 2025 and beyond

Certain baseball players are clear difference-makers, having the ability to not only change a game but also the trajectory of a season when called upon. Through his first five major league seasons, Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez has shown glimpses of that ability but has only really put it all together once. The Guardians need him to rediscover what worked a few years ago and channel that in 2025.

It was a breakout year for a then 23-year Gimenez in 2022, slashing .297/.371/.466 with 26 doubles, 17 home runs, and 20 stolen bases in addition to winning his first of two consecutive Gold Gloves en route to a sixth-place finish in American League MVP voting. It looked like the Guardians had an emerging star on their hands, making the seven-year $105 million contract they signed him to look like an absolute steal. While Gimenez's defense has still been at an elite level, unfortunately, his offensive production has waned, and that is a problem.

Over the past two seasons, Gimenez has slashed .252/.306/.368 with 49 doubles and 24 home runs, not exactly the type of output the Guardians would be receiving following 2023. And while the 60 stolen bases are impressive, having a performance at the plate that is below-average by OPS+'s standards (89) is not going to cut it.

What Gimenez has produced in his last 305 games would be a little more tolerable if the Guardians did not have multiple offensive black holes in their lineup on a daily basis. If Brayan Rocchio and Bo Naylor could put up numbers that were at least closer to average (100 OPS+ is considered average), Gimenez would not be under the microscope right now. Well, that's not entirely accurate. His upcoming increases in yearly salary would still make this an issue, just a less pressing one if Cleveland had other reliable offensive contributors on the roster.

Gimenez is set to see his salary nearly double from $5.5 million in 2024 to $10.5 million in 2025. From there, it jumps to $23.5 million for 2026-2029 before a $23 million club option in 2030 that looks destined to be declined at this time. If the Guardians want to avoid that unpleasant situation and any others that may come from having an underperforming offensive player being paid this much, Gimenez must figure out how to be a meaningful contributor with a bat in his hands, and there is no better time do so than right now.