Traded Twins first baseman Ty France nominated for Gold Glove Award
Blue Jays first baseman Ty France, whom Toronto acquired from the Twins along with Louis Varland in exchange for Kendry Rojas and Alan Roden, has been nominated for the 2025 Rawlings Gold Glove Award. Each league has three finalists at each position, including the utility spot. The winner of each position is determined by the 30 MLB managers and up to six coaches voting from a pool of players in their league, excluding players from their own team. The votes account for 75% of the selection total, and the SABR Defensive Index accounts for the remaining 25%.
Although France wasn't able to return to the version of himself who was an All-Star in 2022 with Minnesota and Toronto this season, posting a mere .681 OPS (88 OPS+), the first baseman made vast defensive improvements. He led all American League first base nominees (Carlos Santana, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and France) in Outs Above Average (OAA) with +10 (96th percentile), marking the highest of his seven-year career. Additionally, France had a career minus-15 fielding run value before 2025 and finished this year with +7.
Ex-Twins first baseman Ty France's Gold Glove nomination may help the now Blue Jay get a job next season
While France isn't the most formidable player at the plate, his defensive turnaround likely will be the reason he gets a job next season. No team has room for a poor defensive first baseman with an OPS below .700, but a team may be able to fit a strong defensive first baseman with an OPS below .700 on their squad. It's entirely possible that the Twins will consider bringing France back, but if they are willing to spend more, Derek Falvey should look for a stronger offensive bat to play first base. A young team looking for a veteran leader with low expectations for a playoff run would be a perfect fit for France, especially since the team could move him at the deadline for something of value if the club ends up as sellers this summer and France is producing at the plate.