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Blue Jays sign Silver Slugger shortstop
The Toronto Blue Jays made an intriguing signing on Sunday.
Toronto signed Silver Slugger Award winner Eloy Jimenez to a minor-league deal. MLB insider Mike Rodriguez first reported the news on X on Sunday.
“According to my sources, Eloy Jiménez has just reached an agreement with the Toronto Blue Jays. The deal is a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League spring training,” Rodriguez wrote.
Jimenez spent the last month of the season in the Blue Jays organization after signing a minor-league deal with the team at the end of August. He finished the year playing in six games with the Blue Jays Triple-A team, hitting .167.
Jimenez is a former top prospect in all of baseball, as he signed with the Chicago Cubs in July 2013 for a $2.8 million signing bonus as an international free agent. After being traded to the Chicago White Sox in 2017, he made his MLB debut in 2019.
Before even making his MLB debut, Jimenez inked a six-year, $43 million contract with White Sox. The deal included two additional option years for the team, which could bring the total value to $75 million, the richest contract ever for a player before his MLB debut.
Despite the risk, Jimenez looked like a safe bet as he hit .267 with 31 home runs and 79 RBIs in his rookie season. He won the Silver Slugger Award in the shortened 2020 season as he hit .296 with 14 home runs and 41 RBIs in 55 games.
However, Jimenez failed to replicate that success and last played in the MLB in the 2024 season.
How Does Jimenez Fit in With The Blue Jays?
Jimenez will have to earn a roster spot on the 26-man roster, but he’s an intriguing addition.
The former top prospect is an outfielder and designated hitter, so the path to playing time is likely blocked. Anthony Santander already fills that role, along with George Springer.
So, if Jimenez is going to earn a roster spot, he would need to beat out someone like Nathan Lukes, Davis Schneider, or Myles Straw.
For Jimenez to do that, the former top prospect will need to have a stellar spring training and show he’s back to his 2020 form. If he does, he would be a solid bench bat that is a low-risk, potential high-reward signing for the Blue Jays.
Toronto Unlikely to Sign Bichette
The Blue Jays’ signing of Jimenez comes with the team unlikely to bring back Bo Bichette.
Bichette remains a free agent, and the star shortstop is unlikely to return to Toronto. According to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic.
“The Toronto Blue Jays remain linked to All-Star hitters Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker,” Bannon wrote. “Although league sources said the Jays have increased their efforts to recruit Tucker, who remains a roster fit after the signing of Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto, a reunion with Bichette appears increasingly unlikely.”
The Blue Jays appear to be focused on Kyle Tucker more than Bichette. So, it’s likely the star hitter will be playing elsewhere in 2026.
Bichette has led the AL in hits twice.
Cole Shelton Cole Shelton covers the NHL, MLB and Cleveland Browns for Heavy.com. He has covered pro and college sports since 2016, including bylines at BJ Penn, USA Today, SB Nation, Rotowire, Canadian Baseball Network and more. More about Cole Shelton
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