The Toronto Blue Jays are adding a familiar name to their organizational depth chart. According to multiple reports, the team signed outfielder and designated hitter Eloy Jiménez to a minor-league contract, giving the 28-year-old slugger another chance to revive a once-promising career that injuries have stalled.
A Career Derailed by Injuries
Jiménez entered Major League Baseball with as much hype as any hitter of his generation. He began as a Chicago Cubs prospect before a trade sent him to the White Sox. In 2019, he broke into the league and immediately made an impact. That rookie season, he launched 31 home runs with an .828 OPS across 122 games, finishing fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting. Chicago had already invested in him, signing him to a six-year, $43 million contract before he took his first big-league at-bat. His follow-up Silver Slugger campaign in the shortened 2020 season seemed to confirm the gamble had paid off.
But from 2021 onward, Jiménez spent more time on the injured list than in the lineup. A ruptured pectoral tendon, a torn hamstring, multiple strains on both legs, and even an appendectomy forced him to miss large chunks of seasons. Over four years, he played only 357 games, barely half of his teams’ schedules. When he did return, his performance often lacked consistency. He flashed promise in 2022 with a strong .295 average and .858 OPS, but his numbers dipped again in 2023. In 2024, split between the White Sox and Orioles, he slashed just .238/.289/.336 with six home runs in 349 plate appearances.
This year, Jiménez signed with the Tampa Bay Rays and spent part of the season in Triple-A Durham. Across 40 games, he hit .278 with three home runs and drove in 29 runs. His strikeout rate of 17% showed his contact skills remained intact, yet his power output fell below his career norms. Tampa Bay released him at midseason, leaving his career at another crossroads.
What the Signing Means for Toronto
Toronto views this move as a no-risk gamble at a time when the team continues to search for offensive consistency. Jiménez will join Triple-A Buffalo and provide depth as the Blue Jays push for the postseason. Because the deal came before September 1, he remains eligible for the playoff roster if he earns a call-up.
The Blue Jays have struggled to find steady production from their designated hitter spot and bench bats all season. Adding Jiménez gives them another option, even if he now profiles more as a depth piece than a star. If he rediscovers a portion of the power that made him one of baseball’s most feared young hitters, Toronto could benefit from his bat down the stretch.
If he cannot regain that form, the deal simply expires with Jiménez finishing the year in Buffalo before testing the free-agent market again. For Toronto, the signing makes sense as an inexpensive way to add depth. For Jiménez, it represents one more chance to prove his career still has life.
Blue Jays Take Flier on Former Top Prospect With Minor-League Deal