Report: Eloy Jiménez To Add Another Stop to His AL East Tour

[Simon Li]

Dominican designated hitter and outfielder Eloy Jiménez has reportedly signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, according to reporter Mike Rodriguez. 

Rodriguez adds that the former top prospect is still waiting on his work visa but is healthy and ready to play. Most recently, Jiménez was playing in the Rays' minor league system, where he was a below-average hitter for Triple-A Durham, slashing .278/.335/.397 with a 92 wRC+. He was released in July.

Jiménez has struggled for the past few years, losing a lot of the power he was touted to have as a prospect. He has posted poor slugging numbers after numerous injury-plagued seasons. In 2024, splitting time between the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles, he had a 78 wRC+. However, he was an above-average hitter for the five seasons before that, with a 119 wRC+ from 2019 to 2023.

If Jiménez does indeed join the Jays organization, they will hope that they can tap into the talent that he has showcased at times throughout his career. Despite poor results recently, Jiménez can still hit the ball hard, as he had a 108.6-mph 90th percentile exit velocity and a 47.1% hard-hit rate in Triple-A. He does chase and whiff a lot, which can prevent him from tapping into that power, but the hard contact is still encouraging to see.

Jiménez will be a potential backup right-handed outfield/DH option in case of an injury to Ty France, Davis Schneider or George Springer. This also may suggest that Anthony Santander is further out than the team might hope, as he's just begun swinging a bat again. No matter what, the Jays are hoping that Jiménez's talent can prevail and he can find some semblance of his old form. If his signing is made official before August 31, Jiménez would be available as a possible injury replacement for the postseason.

Featured image courtesy of  Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images.

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[Spanky__99]

He's broken man, broke my heart in fantasy baseball too, it'd be nice if we could unlock the beast within.

[jaysblue]

11 hours ago, Spanky__99 said:

He's broken man, broke my heart in fantasy baseball too, it'd be nice if we could unlock the beast within.

[Laika]

seems like weird timing 

i guess just laying the groundwork for a 2026 MilB deal? lol 

[Spanky__99]

1 hour ago, jaysblue said:

What you laughing at tool?

This f***ing bird traded Langeliers for Eloy in AUGUST of last season in a 30 team Dynasty league. The self awareness is zero.

 

[glory]

1 hour ago, Laika said:

seems like weird timing 

i guess just laying the groundwork for a 2026 MilB deal? lol 

Yeah setting up a relationship for a 2026 minor league deal would make more sense than expecting him to accomplish anything here in a few weeks. He’s still relatively young and is apparently showing good exit velo’s in the minors, so let Popkins work with him next spring and see what happens.

[Simon Li]

1 hour ago, Laika said:

seems like weird timing 

i guess just laying the groundwork for a 2026 MilB deal? lol 

He would need to be signed before the September 1st deadline for him to be eligible for the playoff roster. I'm assuming it's just a contingency plan. 

[Pendleton]

Baseball reference lists his nickname as "Big Baby"

[Spanky__99]

11 hours ago, Pendleton said:

Baseball reference lists his nickname as "Big Baby"

[Spanky__99]

21 hours ago, Spanky__99 said:

What you laughing at tool?

This f***ing bird traded Langeliers for Eloy in AUGUST of last season in a 30 team Dynasty league. The self awareness is zero.

 

[jaysblue]

1 hour ago, Spanky__99 said:

Probably one of my worst trades in the history of Fantasy Baseball and one the Giants organization definitely regrets. It's too bad that Shea during his time with the Giants never showed this type of offensive production, otherwise, he still would have been a Giant today. 

We're excited to see what Eloy can do with the Blue Jays. He's still only 28 and some serious raw pop. As a lottery ticket, we're hoping he can work his way into the fold in 2026.