Former White Sox Star Signs With A World Series Contender
Free agency has picked up over the last week, as some of the bigger free agents have finally decided where they are going to be playing next season. In other news, the White Sox are approaching a month since their last major league free agent signing, but I would expect some more moves shortly, as the roster certainly could use a few more guys.
Outside of the major moves, it is interesting to see where some of our old friends end up. There are quite a few that are still free agents, and some will likely end up signing some nice deals, as Lucas Giolito could make himself some money this offseason.
As of a few days ago, an old friend found themselves a new home, as the Toronto Blue Jays have announced they’ve signed former White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez to a minor leauge deal with an invitation to Spring Training.
OFFICIAL: We’ve signed the following free agents to Minor League deals with invites to #SpringTraining.
DH Eloy Jiménez
INF Carlos Mendoza
LHP Michael Plassmeyer
RHP Jorge Alcala
INF Rafael Lantigua pic.twitter.com/Pfx0cZmaCT— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) January 14, 2026
This is a solid landing spot for Eloy, as the Blue Jays are likely to be playing in late October next season. However, they have a very good team, so making the team out of Spring Training will be an uphill battle for Eloy.
Last year Eloy did not appear in a major league game, as he played 54 games for the Tampa Bay Rays AAA affiliate. In those games, Eloy hit just .246 with a .330 OBP, adding just three homeruns and 30 RBIs. This isn’t the season he was looking for, as he should be killing AAA pitching.
Eloy last appeared in a major league game with the Baltimore Orioles in 2024, after being acquired at the trade deadline from the White Sox. In 33 games with Baltimore, he hit .232 with one homer and seven RBIs in 95 at-bats.
Hopefully a clean slate with a World Series contender can get Eloy back on track, as he is still just 29 years old. After a phenomenal rookie season in 2019 where he hit 31 homeruns, he just hasn’t been able to stay on the field and get into a groove. Eloy has all the talent in the world, so hopefully he can get a chance to show it in Toronto and make a contribution to their major league team.