Blue Jays could get a sneaky power boost from ex-White Sox slugger

The Toronto Blue Jays have a lot of their roster already figured out by the end of February but there are still a few spots left that might be up for grabs. Over the past offseason, the Blue Jays signed outfielder and designated hitter Eloy Jiménez to a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training.

While the majority of the team's spots are taken already, Eloy will contend for a bench role with an upside of helping the reigning AL Champs in their quest to repeat the feat and return to the World Series. His best days might be behind him, but he's proven there's still plenty of talent in his 29-year-old bat.

Blue Jays could get a sneaky power boost from ex-White Sox slugger

Jiménez's Career Thus Far

Jiménez has enjoyed stints as one of the best and one of the worst hitters in baseball over his six-year MLB career, and hopes to add more of the former to his resume with the Blue Jays. In every season from 2019 to 2023, Jiménez had a wRC+ above 100, smacked at least ten doubles and ten home runs, and notched a slugging percentage of .430+.

He is known for his raw power at the plate and virtually not much else, but he's had a tough last two seasons that have put even that into skepticism. Eloy is a powerful right-handed slugger who, when he's not hitting the ball with consistency, doesn't have much positivity to bring to a lineup.

The former 30-home run hitter will look to bounce back from the roughest stretch of his MLB career, splitting 2024 with the White Sox and Baltimore where he slashed a mere .238/.289/.336 over 98 games. He spent the 2025 season across several organizations' Triple-A affiliates including the Blue Jays, but he's shown signs of strength this Spring Training.

Spring Training Breakout

Jiménez earned a Spring Training opportunity this year with Toronto and he has simply run away with the chance to prove himself once more at this level. Easily standing as one of the Blue Jays' most impactful bats so far this spring, he's giving himself the best chance possible to make the team.

In his first three games of 2026 Spring Training with the Toronto Blue Jays, Jiménez has been one of the most impressive and interesting players to watch. He has a .625 batting average (5 hits) with a home run, two doubles, and three runs scored in his eight plate appearances so far this spring.

He's showing a strong ability to crush the baseball so far and it looks like the Eloy Jiménez of old might have returned. Against the Boston Red Sox, he mashed a ball off their "Baby Green Monster" wall in left field that travelled 398 feet and flew at 104.8 MPH off the bat. This would have likely been a home run in many big-league ballparks, so it's definitely a positive sign.

Where Does He Fit In?

Jimènez will not earn a starting role on this team barring an injury or two to important starting outfielders. His defensive ability leaves much to be desired (career -22 RV, -18 OAA) so he would have to appear either as a designated hitter or a pinch hitter.

Especially when considering Toronto's recent trade for Jesús Sánchez from the Houston Astros, Jiménez will have to compete with Sánchez for a spot on the big-league roster. It's worth noting that Sánchez is the more likely option to break camp out of Spring Training due to his decent fielding, strong arm, and platoon potential. Working with hitting coach David Popkins could bring a strong surge out of Sánchez as well.

The chances of Jiménez earning an MLB spot with the reigning AL Champions wasn't strong to begin with, but with every ball he smacks at 100+ MPH off the bat his odds grow exponentially. When Toronto signed him, they didn't know what version of Eloy they might see, but he's truly impressed on many levels this spring.

Perhaps he'll earn a spot on the team this year or maybe he'll be a trade asset going forward - either way he's proving to have much more value than Toronto could've asked for.