When the White Sox acquired OF Eloy Jimenez in the trade that sent LHP Jose Quintana to the Cubs back in 2017, it was easy to see why they liked him. Jimenez brought easy power out of the corner outfield and had the potential to be a premiere slugger in the big leagues. Unfortunately, injuries and underperformance have pushed Jimenez off the radar in recent years. But Jimenez isn’t quite done yet, and he’s reportedly headed to the Toronto Blue Jays on a minor league deal for 2026.
Source: Eloy Jiménez has agreed to a minor league deal, with a spring training invite, with the Blue Jays.
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) January 12, 2026
Jiménez, 29, has shed 20 pounds since the end of the season and has been playing in the Dominican winter league.
First: @mikedeportes.
Jimenez burst onto the scene with the White Sox back in 2019, slugging 31 home runs in his rookie year, and another 14 in 60 games during the shortened 2020 season. Jimenez, along with teammates Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert Jr, signed an extension before ever playing a game in the big leagues as a core piece of the White Sox rebuild. A torn pectoral muscle in Spring Training limited Jimenez to just 55 games during the White Sox 2021 division title season. He returned with an excellent .858 OPS in 2022, but was limited to just 84 games once again. Jimenez nearly matched his rookie season with 120 games played in 2023, but his numbers took a step back. They dipped even further in 2024, and the White Sox shipped Jimenez to the Orioles at the trade deadline for RHP Trey McGough, who retired before even playing a full season with the White Sox organization.
Jimenez's career has fallen off in recent years
Jimenez struggled in 33 games down the stretch for Baltimore and signed a minor league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays before 2025. He never played in a major league game for Tampa and was released before joining the Blue Jays on a minor league deal later in the season. Jimenez, now 29, has spent the offseason losing weight and playing in the Dominican Winter League, and he’ll now head back to the Blue Jays organization, where he’ll try to earn a roster spot in Spring Training.
The Blue Jays have a crowded position player group, so Jimenez may not have a great chance at making the team, but a strong spring could earn him a look from Toronto or a deal elsewhere. He’ll need to prove that he can stay healthy and produce for an extended period of time, but the talent- particularly the power- is legitimate.
It’s unfortunate that things never worked out for Jimenez in Chicago. White Sox fans hoped Eloy would be a lineup staple for years to come. Instead, he’s simply an example of the dangers of extending a player before they even reach the big leagues. Questions about Jimenez’s work ethic and commitment after landing a big contract always plagued the organization, and the White Sox new regime will view it as a lesson on what not to do this time around.
Hopefully, Eloy can finally stay healthy and tap into the upside that White Sox fans know is there. His new deal will give him a chance to find a home and stick somewhere. Unfortunately, it won’t be on the South Side.