Spring surge not good enough as Blue Jays inform this veteran he's going to Triple-A

The Toronto Blue Jays got a lot of surprising performances at Spring Training, but none was quite as impressive as the show Eloy Jiménez put on over the past five weeks.

Still just 29-years-old, the former top prospect appeared to be closing in on an Opening Day roster spot in Toronto when he opened the exhibition slate on an otherworldly tear. Unfortunately, not even that was enough to save his stock, as the Blue Jays have reassigned Jiménez to minor-league camp.

Once Anthony Santander was ruled out for months following a shoulder surgery, some envisioned Jiménez as a possible replacement, particularly as a platoon option with new left fielder Jesús Sánchez. Instead, the Blue Jays' bench will be comprised of backup catcher Tyler Heineman, utility man Davis Schneider (or Leo Jiménez), and outfielders Myles Straw and Nathan Lukes.

Eloy Jiménez could parlay strong spring performance with Blue Jays into a major-league contract

It'd be wrong to say that this was a foregone conclusion from the jump, but Jiménez was always facing an uphill battle to make the roster, even after his great play this spring. The last time he was a well-above-average bat was 2022, which was also the same year that Alex Manoah finished third in Cy Young voting. In other words, it's been a while.

In addition, Jiménez did fall off following a blistering start; after posting a194 wRC+ through his first six games, the former Silver Slugger ended Spring Training with a .286/.333/.524 (119 wRC+) batting line. Still solid, to be sure, but not the kind of stats that you change roster plans for.

Jiménez will start the season in Triple-A Buffalo, but he has an opt-out clause in his contract (on June 1 and July 1) that will allow him to pursue deals with other teams if he isn't called up to Toronto. It's possible he sticks around beyond then, but that'll most likely mean his bat has gone cold, which would remove all of the shine from his profile.

He's a porous defender, though the Blue Jays did challenge him to learn first base this spring along with playing some corner outfield again. It'd be a stretch to say he'll be a capable defender given time, but he won't have to be so great at the plate if he isn't relegated exclusively to being a designated hitter.

For what it's worth, Jiménez said earlier in Spring Training that he'd happily take an assignment to Triple-A if it meant sticking around with the Blue Jays. That came before his offensive explosion, but it does offer hope that he could be an ace in the hole if the team's injury issues start spreading towards the lineup.