Just one day after trading Aaron Bummer to the Atlanta Braves, new White Sox General Manager Chris Getz has signaled that this may not be the last move the White Sox make.
This afternoon, while talking about the Bummer deal, Getz made two things clear: Eloy Jimenez is certainly receiving interest from other teams, and the White Sox are not shy about the idea of trading him – or any player for that matter.
Moving Jimenez is a little bit different than moving Aaron Bummer, given his previous status as a would-be franchise cornerstone. Signed to a six-year, $43MM deal before making his MLB debut, Jimenez has hit .275/.324/.487 with 89 homers in five seasons, good for a 118 career wRC+.
However, Jimenez’s production has been limited by injuries, with 122 games and 504 PA still his career highs for playing time – and both of those came in 2019. The White Sox have given Jimenez an increasingly large share of DH time over the last two years in an attempt to keep him healthy, and since he largely missed time only due to an appendectomy in 2023, it appears to have worked. The problem is that Jimenez only hit .272/.317/.441, and a 105 wRC+ isn’t going to cut it for a full-time DH.
Jimenez is set to make $13MM in 2024, with the White Sox holding club options of $16.5MM in 2025 and $18.5MM in 2026 (with $3MM buyouts on both options). So, much like with Bummer, while there is only one year of contractual control remaining as a guarantee, teams will have up to three years of control on Jimenez at a fairly reasonable price if they choose.
With the White Sox addressing more of their depth problems with the Bummer trade, the hope is likely that the club will get higher-profile talent in return for Jimenez. However, the ceiling on that return given Jimenez’s profile is going to be lower than most would expect, which will make the ultimate decision to trade Jimenez or perhaps wait until the deadline rather interesting. But, with defense being a priority for Getz, Jimenez certainly doesn’t check that box.
Outside of Dylan Cease, Eloy Jimenez remains the team’s most valuable trade asset, so it is likely Jimenez will be wearing a different jersey at some point in 2024. We will provide more updates as new information becomes available.
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