3:13 pm: Jimenez will earn a assured $2MM wage if he makes it onto the workforce, experiences Héctor Gomez of Z101 Digital. He can earn an extra $2MM in enjoying time incentives.
12:13 pm: The Rays are in settlement with designated hitter Eloy Jimenez on a minor league deal, per a report from Jesse Rogers of ESPN. The deal presumably contains an invitation to main league Spring Coaching.
Jimenez, 28, signed with the Cubs out of the Dominican Republic as a world novice and made his professional debut in 2014. He rapidly rocketed up prospect rankings and was ultimately included alongside Dylan Stop within the crosstown commerce that introduced Jose Quintana to Wrigley Area. Jimenez’s prime prospect star continued to shine with the White Sox, and so they ultimately signed him to a long-term deal previous to his massive league debut in 2019. The $43MM assure gave Chicago management over Jimenez for eight seasons in a record-setting deal for a prospect who had not but made his massive league debut.
The deal initially seemed like one thing of a coup because the slugger burst onto the scene within the majors with a fourth-place end in AL Rookie of the Yr voting in 2019 earlier than Jimenez slashed .295/.332/.559 (138 wRC+) with 14 homers in simply 55 video games throughout the shortened 2020 season. Jimenez’s glorious offense helped to guide the White Sox to their first playoff look since 2008, and whereas they fell to the A’s in three video games it appeared as if the South Siders had been in place to compete for years to come back with Jimenez as a key a part of the core.
Issues didn’t end up that approach, sadly. Jimenez was restricted to simply 139 video games and 558 journeys to the plate over the subsequent two seasons as a result of a myriad of accidents, and whereas he posted a 125 wRC+ throughout that point the missed time mixed with Jimenez’s lackluster protection within the outfield led Chicago to make him roughly a full-time DH going ahead. Whereas Jimenez stayed wholesome sufficient to play 120 video games in 2023, his offense left a lot to be desired as he slashed simply .272/.317/.441 with 18 homers in 489 journeys to the plate. That was good for a 105 wRC+ which, whereas above common, left him as a roughly substitute stage DH (0.6 fWAR).
After dropping 101 video games in 2023, the White Sox had been certainly hoping Jimenez would rebound sufficient in 2024 to construct up his commerce worth and usher in an attention-grabbing piece or two for the rebuild they’d kicked off by buying and selling away Dylan Stop and declining Tim Anderson’s membership choice throughout the offseason. Sadly, the slugger did something however as he turned in by far the worst efficiency of his profession in 2024. In 98 video games with the White Sox and Orioles, Jimenez hit a paltry .238/.289/.336 and was value -0.9 fWAR. That beneath substitute stage manufacturing made it a simple choice for Baltimore to chop him unfastened this winter, making him a free agent for the primary time in his profession.
That’s led him to the Rays, who’re coming off a disappointing 2024 season largely because of a lackluster offense. Given Jimenez’s personal offensive struggles, he’s hardly a assure to assist with that. However including a bat together with his potential upside on a minor league deal can’t harm the membership’s efforts to however forth a stronger lineup in 2025, and even when Jimenez solely manages the 105 wRC+ he posted 2023 that will nonetheless be an improve over the 97 wRC+ the Rays acquired out of their DH slot final yr. Ought to Jimenez make the roster out of camp, he’d be a part of kids like Christopher Morel, Jonathan Aranda, and Jonny DeLuca in vying for enjoying time within the outfield and at DH.
