Another former White Sox top prospect will be available this offseason.
The Orioles announced on Saturday that they have declined their 2025 club option for Eloy Jiménez. Instead of paying him the $16.5 million that he was due next season, Baltimore opted for the $3 million buyout to make the designated hitter a free agent.
Jiménez, 27, never lived up to the lofty expectations that came with being a top prospect. Once acquired from the Cubs in the 2017 Jose Quintana trade, Jiménez battled a litany of injuries on the South Side that left much to be desired as a middle-of-the-order power bat. He ended his White Sox career hitting .270/.321/.469 with 94 homers and a .790 OPS over parts of six seasons.
Things didn’t turn out any better in Baltimore, which makes the team’s decision to part ways an unsurprising one. Jiménez played in just 33 games for the Birds to finish out the worst season of his career. He ended 2024 with a .238/.289/.336 batting line and 78 wRC+ over 98 games.
Jiménez joins former MLB top prospect Yoan Moncada to hit the open market. The White Sox officially declined the third baseman’s $25 million option on Friday, ending his polarizing tenure on the South Side.
Despite the inconsistencies from Moncada and Jiménez, it wouldn’t be surprising to see either player picked up by a team over the coming months. Moncada will undoubtedly draw the most interest, but both guys are still under the age of 30 and have shown the type of production they can provide when healthy. While they may see some limitations financially due to their poor health track record, it’s likely incentives will be offered based on the number of games played and overall performance next year.
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