White Sox: What does the future hold for Eloy Jimenez?

The Chicago White Sox are a team that needs a lot of help. They have done some things to start paving the way to get that help they so desperately need by letting go of Rick Hahn and Kenny Williams.

But it’s likely that more will need to be done including quite possibly letting first-year manager Pedro Grifol go as well as a few of the players on the current roster.

One player that has caused some trouble in the press recently and may have more to do with the demise of the team than some people think.

Eloy Jimenez recently made some comments about leadership that have some, including our beloved Ozzie Guillen, a little bit up in arms about what he said.

The White Sox are a team that needs a guy like Eloy Jimenez to step up.

Jimenez has been a bit of an enigma since he has been with the White Sox. He often lands on the injured list with a variety of ailments, mostly centered around his legs. He doesn’t look like the kind of guy that gives 100% effort when he’s out there.

Jimenez doesn’t hustle to first base even when he hits the ball well into the outfield. Maybe it’s a lack of motivation or maybe he’s afraid he will get hurt. Either way, it looks terrible on him and it looks bad on the White Sox.

There have been rumors that Jimenez is somewhat of a cancer in the locker room and doesn’t really step up to be a leader.

In fact, there were three players who were identified as being clubhouse issues and were said to be hurting the team more than they were helping. It was thought that they wouldn’t take the role of leader on the team and were anti-leadership.

The White Sox have no room for controversy and they need more leaders on the team. Their most prominent leader, shortstop Tim Anderson, cannot do it on his own. He needs help. He needs guys like Jimenez to step up and become the leader(s) that they need to be.

With it seeming like the White Sox are going to possibly hire an internal candidate for the two positions vacated by Hahn and Williams, it’s a wonder if the culture is actually going to change.

Will this person bring in a new, winning attitude that expresses that leadership needs to come from within the clubhouse? Will they see that Jimenez may not be the leader that they hoped he could be and then let him walk in the offseason?

Jimenez really hasn’t panned out that well with the White Sox and I believe that his departure, which might be inevitable, could actually make the team better.

With the guys who don’t want to step up to lead or shun leadership gone, this team could take several steps forward and might end up being much better than it is right now in a short amount of time.

It’s possible that Jimenez will be a goner this coming off-season. Unless he can straighten up, put in the effort, become a leader, and prove that he’s over whatever problems he’s had I don’t think he will be a part of the team when they get to spring training in 2024.

I think that the Sox will decide to go in a new direction and will trade him away to a team that can tolerate his penchant for not being a leader.