Clearly, the Cleveland Guardians are just trying to upstage the Chicago Cubs by signing their second baseman to a bigger extension than the one the Cubs gave Nico Hoerner. So petty.
In all seriousness, Andres Gimenez is getting PAID:
Gimenez, 24, was an absolute monster for the Guardians in 2022, posting a .297/.371/.466/140 wRC+ line while playing standout defense at second base (and pitching in a little at shortstop, too). He was worth a whopping 6.1 WAR, and clearly the Guardians are betting that he’ll be good to continue his huge performances for at least the next eight years.
You may recall that Gimenez was one of the pieces in the Francisco Lindor trade with the Mets, and while he was highly regarded at the time, I’m not sure the Mets thought he was going to turn himself into a nine-figure player in just a couple years. So good on the Guardians for not only getting him in the deal, but also helping him develop into a young star.