Why the Chicago White Sox Should Not Trade Eloy Jimenez This Offseason
The Chicago White Sox have been at the center of several rumors regarding trades this offseason so far. They have already traded away Aaron Bummer for some players while the news on a potential trade involving Dylan Cease has picked up steam. Some of it makes sense while other names that are being bantered around as potential trade bait, players such as Luis Robert Jr and Eloy Jimenez, don’t really make a ton of sense to trade away.
The Chicago White Sox don’t need to strip the club down to the bare bones to find success. They can still earn their success by keeping a few of the pieces they have had in the past. This means that keeping guys like Jimenez might be just what the White Sox need to do.
Trading Eloy Jimenez now would be selling low on a guy with huge potential
There are going to be a few people out there who balk at the thought of keeping Jimenez. Why would you keep him? He’s often injured, doesn’t seem to play to 100% all the time, and he’s inconsistent. Inconsistency is not something that you want on a baseball team. Quite frankly, if I was General Manager Chris Getz, I would strongly consider trading him while he has some value and get something good for him. He’s had an odd career with the White Sox and they may be better served by getting someone else in exchange for him.
From the other side, however, you will see that Jimenez does have some qualities that would still make him appealing to the White Sox. He’s a threat to hit the long ball almost every time he steps up to the plate and he hits the ball well when he hits it. If you get rid of all your important pieces, you will find yourself stuck in a rut and you may not be able to get out of it for a while. The White Sox need some continuity and keeping Jimenez would give them a little bit of that.
Another reason why it may be worthwhile keeping Jimenez in-house is because he still has room to grow and get better. Imagine if he could clear up all his faults and improve. He could be one of the most powerful hitters in all of baseball. He just has to streamline his game and get his act together.
It’s hard to retain someone based on potential but there is a lot of potential in Jimenez. With health and a proper attitude, he could really shine with the White Sox and the White Sox could shine with him. Jimenez has a lot of growing to do to get there and maybe he’s not on the right team to grow. It would be disappointing to see him go somewhere else and have a lot of success.
The Chicago White Sox have a tough decision to make on Jimenez. Teams should be interested in him but what kind of return are the White Sox going to get for him? Would it be more beneficial to trade or keep him? We will find out soon. With the Winter Meetings upon us, anything can happen!