Eloy Jiménez's Downfall Has Reached Rock Bottom

The latest chapter in Eloy Jiménez's fall from grace is now in the books. The Durham Bulls, the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, activated him from the injured list and released him earlier this afternoon, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The former White Sox slugger is now a free agent. 

The end of Jiménez's time with the White Sox has been well documented, but things somehow became even worse for him after leaving Chicago. He hit just one home run in 100 plate appearances for the Baltimore Orioles last season after acquiring him from the White Sox. They eventually parted ways with him in early November by declining his team option, instead paying him a $3 million buyout.

Disappointing Rays Stint

Jiménez signed a minor league deal with the Rays last December, hoping they could revive his fading career. Unfortunately for him, that did not happen. In 40 games with the Triple-A Durham Bulls, he hit .278/.335/.397 with just three home runs in 194 plate appearances. He did not even appear in an MLB game with the Rays because he did not show enough in Triple-A to earn a call-up. Tampa Bay had seen enough, and Jiménez no longer has a team.

Career At A Crossroads

Jiménez is still reasonably young at 28 years old, but his career is at a crossroads. He is a shell of the hitter he once was, and his injury history is a likely reason why. He has suffered many injuries over his career, ranging from hamstring strains to ruptured pectoral tendons to several other lower-body issues. The power that once made him special and a potential generational talent is gone, and likely so are the days of being a productive MLB player. His downfall has reached a new low.

It is unclear where Jiménez goes from here. He could latch on with another MLB team on a minor league deal. Going overseas to Korea or Japan could be another option. Even the independent leagues in North America could provide a path for him to remain in professional baseball. However, his defensive limitations and injury history further complicate his value to potential suitors.

Eloy Jiménez's Unfortunate Trajectory

Eloy Jiménez's trajectory parallels the overall promising White Sox core he was part of. The once-promising unit featuring Jiménez, Yoán Moncada, Michael Kopech, Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease, Luis Robert Jr., and others never fulfilled its lofty potential. For Jiménez specifically, injuries and underperformance have derailed a career that looked primed for stardom.