On July 31, 2011, Jiménez was traded to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Alex White, Joe Gardner, Matt McBride and Drew Pomeranz. Tom Verducci wrote in "Sports Illustrated" shortly before the trade "Jimenez has terrific stuff, a powerful frame and the work ethic of a blast furnace" but was working an alarming number of innings in high altitude conditions and putting strain on the Rockies' ace. Jiménez would later recount the difficult days he had with the Rockies organization in a 2012 interview during spring training. "It was kind of hard being with the Rockies. I went through a lot of things people outside the organization don't know. But me and the people in the front office know."