Blue Jays Video
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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