Eloy Jiménez near the Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly close to adding Dominican hitter Eloy Jiménez through a minor league contract, which includes an invitation to the major league team’s Spring Training, according to multiple reports. However, the club has not yet officially confirmed the agreement.
Jiménez, 29, seeks to relaunch his career after spending the entire 2025 season in the minor leagues, where he hit three home runs and recorded an OPS of .673 in 54 games. The hitter started last year in the Tampa Bay Rays organization, was released in July and then signed with Toronto in September, participating in six games with Triple-A Buffalo before finishing the campaign.
Since October, the slugger has been active in the Dominican League with the Toros del Este, seeking to stay in competitive rhythm for a new opportunity in organized baseball.Competition for the Designated Position
Although Jiménez will be able to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster, his path will not be easy. Toronto has several options for the designated hitter role, so the Dominican will have to stand out during the preseason to secure his place.A Talent Seeking Resurgence
Jiménez was one of the most valued prospects in baseball before his debut in 2019 with the Chicago White Sox, an organization that signed him to a six-year, $43 million contract, a few days before he made it to the Major Leagues.
In his early campaigns he demonstrated his power: he connected 31 home runs with an OPS of .828 as a rookie and then recorded an .891 OPS in the shortened 2020 season. However, injuries marked the rest of his time in Chicago, which culminated in a trade to the Baltimore Orioles in July 2024.
In six seasons in MLB, Jiménez has 95 home runs, 298 RBIs, and a .780 OPS in 534 games, although in 2024 his performance dropped to a .626 OPS in 98 combined games between the White Sox and the Orioles.
