The Baltimore Orioles made the surprising decision to acquire Chicago White Sox designated hitter Eloy Jimenez at the trade deadline. On Saturday, the Orioles made the unsurprising decision to move on from Jimenez.
Baltimore has declined Jimenez’s $16.5 million club option for 2025, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. The 27-year-old DH is now a free agent.
The White Sox endured the worst season in modern baseball history, losing a staggering 121 games. The team was set to be major sellers at the trade deadline. While that didn’t pan out as expected, they did manage to move Jimenez. Chicago was going to decline his 2025 club option after the season but trading him allowed the White Sox to get some value in return instead of losing him for nothing. The Orioles parted with minor league pitching prospect Trey McGough in the deal.
Jimenez signed a six-year, $43 million contract with the White Sox in 2019. The agreement included club options in 2025 and 2026. After his option for the upcoming season was declined, Jimenez is due a $3 million buyout, which the Orioles and the White Sox will split.
The trade was viewed skeptically at the time, given Jimenez’s extensive injury history and recent lack of production. But it only cost the Orioles a minor leaguer and the team could get out of Jimenez’s contract at the end of the season. So even though it was believed the Orioles would regret making the trade, it was ultimately a low-risk, high-reward move.
Jimenez is unquestionably talented. He hit 31 home runs in his rookie season in 2019. He won the Silver Slugger as a left fielder in the Covid-shortened 2020 season. Unfortunately, Jimenez hasn’t been able to reach those heights since. Injuries have been a major factor in his struggles, as he’s only played 100 games in a season twice in his six-year career.
However, the Orioles were hoping to add a right-handed power bat to the lineup as the team battled the New York Yankees for the division crown. With Jimenez relegated to DH duties, the Orioles expected production at the plate. But his struggles continued after the move to Baltimore. Jimenez slashed .232/.270/.316 with one home run, seven RBI and seven runs scored in 33 games with the Orioles. He had an OPS+ of 72 and -0.2 bWAR during his brief time with the team.
The Orioles ultimately finished second in the AL East and settled for a Wild Card berth. The team was swept by the Kansas City Royals in the opening round of the playoffs. Yet Jimenez didn’t factor into Baltimore’s postseason. The Orioles optioned the DH to Triple-A in September to make room for Ryan Mountcastle’s return from the injured list.
Jimenez now enters free agency. While the next deal he signs won’t come close to the massive contract the White Sox offered six years ago, some team is likely to take a chance on Jimenez’s tantalizing potential.
