Sources: Gimenez, Guardians reach extension
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Jeff PassanESPN
Second baseman Andrés Giménez and the Cleveland Guardians are in agreement on a seven-year, $106.5 million contract extension that includes an eighth-year club option, sources told ESPN, locking up the biggest breakout star of last year potentially through 2031.
Coming off a 2022 in which he made his first All-Star team, won a Gold Glove and finished behind only Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani in the AL with 7.4 wins above replacement, Giménez agreed to a deal that will start in 2024. It buys out his three years of arbitration and at least four years of free agency, with an option that could take the overall value of the deal to $128 million.
Acquired as part of the blockbuster deal that sent All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor to the New York Mets in January 2021, Giménez won the second-base job in Cleveland last year and proceeded to hit .297/.371/.466 with 17 home runs and 20 stolen bases. He patrolled the middle infield with shortstop Amed Rosario, who arrived in the Lindor deal as well, helping the smooth transition that allowed Cleveland to remain the class of the American League Central Division, with a first- or second-place finish in each of the past seven seasons.
Cleveland’s history of signing top young talent to long-term extensions dates to the mid-1990s, when it popularized the practice. The Guardians last year extended star third baseman José Ramírez through 2028 and also have top closer Emmanuel Clase signed through the 2028 season. Their pursuit of other deals has been persistent this spring, and reliever Trevor Stephan — another 2022 breakout — could be the next player to sign, according to sources.
With one of the best farm systems in baseball, Cleveland is primed to remain competitive despite a payroll that’s consistently among the bottom half of the sport — and, over the past two seasons, the bottom five. In the years after their 2016 AL pennant, Cleveland pushed its payroll to the $120 million-plus range but in 2023 is due to pay around $90 million in salary.
Others with whom Cleveland has spoken about long-term deals include Rosario, starter Triston McKenzie and outfielder Steven Kwan. Both McKenzie and Kwan were drafted and developed by the team.
New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton will miss the remainder of the regular season and “possibly” the playoffs due to a lower-body injury, general manager Tom Fitzgerald said.
When pressed if Hamilton could return if the Devils reach the second round of the postseason, Fitzgerald wasn’t too optimistic on Wednesday.
“We’re not planning on it, how’s that?” Fitzgerald said during an appearance on the “Krackin’ Canuckleheads” podcast.
Hamilton has been sidelined since he was tangled up with Stars forward Mason Marchment in the first period of a 4-3 loss to Dallas on March 4.
Hamilton, 31, has 40 points (nine goals, 31 assists) in 63 games this season. He is competing in the fourth campaign of his seven-year, $63 million contract.
Hamilton has totaled 501 points (151 goals, 350 assists) in 834 career games with the Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes and Devils.
Hamilton was selected by the Bruins with the ninth overall pick of the 2011 NHL draft.
Rafael Devers told reporters Thursday that he’s “good to do whatever” the Boston Red Sox want him to do, an indication that he’s willing to move away from third base and serve as the team’s designated hitter this season.
A switch of roles didn’t seem likely last month, when Devers balked at the idea at moving to DH in the wake of Boston signing Alex Bregman.
“Third base is my position,” Devers said then.
But the three-time All-Star said Thursday that he spoke with manager Alex Cora and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow a few weeks ago and told them “I’m good to do whatever they want me to do.
“I’m here to help,” he said through his interpreter, according to The Athletic. “I’ve already spoken with them about that and they know where I stand, but I’m just ready to play.
“I’m not going to share what we talked about here just because it would make me come off … those are private conversations. So I told them everything of my point of view, how I see things, and they know that.”
Devers has yet to appear in an official spring training game for Boston. It was supposed to happen Tuesday but got pushed back to this weekend. He battled soreness in both of his shoulders last season and spent the first couple of weeks of spring training trying to strengthen them ahead of the regular season.
He did play in an intrasquad game Thursday in Fort Myers, Florida, before he spoke with the media, and had a home run off new Red Sox starter Walker Buehler.
Asked if he expects to be ready for Opening Day against the Rangers on March 27 in Texas, Devers said: “I expect to be there.”
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