After signing a minor contract with Toronto in late August, Jimenez played just six games with Triple-A Buffalo, and he had a .508 OPS over 21 trips to the plate. This gave Jimenez an overall .247/.326/.347 slash line in 215 plate appearances in the Jays and Rays farm systems, with no games played at the Major League level.
Once a feared power bat who signed a six-year, $43 million deal with the White Sox before ever appearing in a big league game, Jimenez somewhat lived up to that potential by hitting .275/.324/.487 with 89 home runs over 1,777 PA during the 2019-23 seasons. However, Jimenez has been held back by a litany of injuries, and his 122 games played in 2019 remains his highest game total in a regular season. The 2024 season was a total disaster for Jimenez, as he hit .238/.289/.336 over 349 PA while missing time with an adductor and a hamstring injury.
The White Sox gave up Jimenez by dealing him to the Orioles at the 2024 trade deadline, and Baltimore unsurprisingly declined a $16.5 million club option on the former slugger for the 2025 season. Jimenez then landed in Tampa Bay last winter on a minor contract, but between more injury woes and his uninspiring numbers, the Rays released him last July.
Jimenez is still only 29 years old and still has decent ball numbers and exit velocities. Given his history, there’s no risk for the Blue Jays to take a more in-depth look at Jimenez in camp to see if a late-career turnaround is possible, even if Jimenez doesn’t seem likely to be able to crack Toronto’s crowded roster. His best-case scenario could be a big Spring Training performance, then going to another interested team via trade or an opt-out in his contract at the end of camp.
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