Blue Jays sign power hitter Jiménez with a minor league deal including a spring training invite

Multiple reports indicate that the Toronto Blue Jays will soon sign free agent slugger Eloy Jiménez to a minor league contract with a spring training invite, although the team has not officially announced the transaction.

At 29 years old, Jiménez is aiming for a fresh start in his career. In 2025, he spent the entire season in the minors, hitting just 3 home runs over 54 games with an OPS of 0.673. The Dominican Republic native began the year in the Tampa Bay Rays organization but was released in July. In September, he signed a minor league deal with the Blue Jays and played 6 games for their Triple-A Buffalo affiliate before the season ended. Since October, he has been playing for the Eastern Bulls in the Dominican Winter League (LIDOM).

During this spring’s training camp, Jiménez will compete for a spot on the Blue Jays’ opening day roster, but with stiff competition for the designated hitter role, securing a consistent position in the major league lineup may prove challenging.

This right-handed power hitter is best known for his time with the Chicago White Sox. Before making his MLB debut in 2019, he was regarded as one of baseball’s top prospects with high expectations. In March of that year, just days before his first major league game, the White Sox signed him to a six-year, $43 million contract.

Jiménez showed early promise as a future core hitter, blasting 31 home runs with an OPS of 0.828 in his rookie season; during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, his OPS rose to 0.891. However, frequent injuries limited his performance over the final four years with the White Sox. In July 2024, the White Sox traded him to the Baltimore Orioles.

Over six major league seasons and 534 games, Jiménez has hit a total of 95 home runs, driven in 298 runs, and posted an OPS of 0.780. During 98 games split between the White Sox and Orioles in 2024, his OPS dropped to just 0.626.