The Chicago White Sox have seen many elite prospects come and go over the last decade. Some of these prospects, such as Dylan Cease and Lucas Giolito, turn out to be good major leaguers. Others like Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech and others fail to reach their potential in Chicago.
Eloy Jimenez is another prime example of this. Jimenez has reportedly signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, according to Mike Rodriguez of Univision Deportes.
While Jimenez last played for the White Sox in 2024, it’s just another reminder of the failure of the previous regime in scouting and developing great talent.
Eloy Jimenez’s Tenure With the Chicago White Sox
Once a consensus top-four prospect in all of MLB according to Baseball America, MLB Pipeline and Baseball Prospectus, Jimenez came roaring onto the scene in 2019. The 6-foot-4, 250 lb behemoth was once thought to be the next great power hitter. He backed up those thoughts in his rookie season.
During the 2019 season, Jimenez played 122 games, hitting .267 with 31 home runs and an .828 OPS. He would wind up finishing fourth in the American League Rookie of the Year voting behind Brandon Lowe, John Means and Yordan Alvarez. White Sox fans thought they had a superstar on their hands.
During the COVID-shortened 2020 season, it was much of the same. In 55 games, Jimenez hit .296 with 14 home runs and an .896 OPS. That year, he won the Silver Slugger award as an outfielder.
Despite his offensive prowess during his first two seasons, it would be his defense that would lead to the beginning of the end. He was always a poor defender, having -11 Outs Above Average in his rookie season, and -3 in his sophomore season, per Baseball Savant.
But his unwillingness to be a designated hitter and stop playing in the outfield led to his downfall. Jimenez would spend the next four seasons on and off the Injured List due to several injuries, many of which he suffered in the outfield and on the base paths.
Can Toronto Fix Jimenez?
He would go on to play 324 games in the next four seasons, with his power declining. During those four seasons, his highest slugging percentage would be .500 in 2022, with the rest of those being well below that total.
To put that in perspective, he had a .513 slugging in his rookie year and .559 in the COVID season.
His inconsistency and long injury history led to his eventual departure from Chicago. He was traded to the Baltimore Orioles, where he would struggle and has bounced around the AL East on minor league deals since.
Now with the reigning AL champions, can Jimenez find his potential?
On a minor league deal, it’s a low-risk, high-reward signing. However, Rodriguez also reported that Eloy looks like his 2019 self.
“He has lost 40 pounds and is in excellent physical condition,” Rodriguez tweeted.
His bulkiness might’ve been what was holding Jimenez back, both from a hitting and availability standpoint. If he truly has lost that much weight, while staying lean, it’s possible he could return to form.
That’s if he stays healthy, however, which has been a major “if” in his career.
But if he can, he can be a dangerous player in this league, as evidenced by his first two seasons.
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