Eloy Jiménez's MLB Career Has Reached A New Low

The sad fall from grace for Eloy Jiménez has reached a new low. According to Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash, the longtime White Sox slugger did not make the Rays' Opening Day roster and will instead start the 2025 season with their AAA affiliate, the Durham Bulls.

Jiménez's Career-Worst 2024 Season

Jiménez signed a minor league deal with the Rays last December after a career-worst 2024 season in which he hit just six home runs in 98 games split between the White Sox and Orioles. His numbers across the board were the worst of his career, and the Orioles decided to part ways with him at the end of the season instead of picking up his $16.5 million team option for the 2025 season. They elected to pay him a $3 million buyout instead.

The Rays subsequently took a low-risk flier on him this past offseason. The move made sense for Tampa Bay, as they historically don't spend on free agents. Jiménez's past success and being just 28 years old made him an intriguing no-risk signing.

Rejuvenated Spring

For as bad as Jiménez started this spring, he has heated up in recent weeks. He enters the day hitting .263 with a .747 OPS in 38 spring at-bats, including a double, two home runs, and six RBI. He has shown he can still hit, albeit against spring competition. Still, it wasn't enough for him to make the Opening Day roster.

"(Eloy's) not going to make our club as it stands right now," Cash said. "He is going to go to Durham. Couldn't be more pleased with the way Eloy carried himself, and the bat started to come to life here a little bit later, which we were confident that it would…but for Eloy to go down there, continue the progress and the work that he put in this off season, for our Durham club, I mean, he could be huge for us at any point during the season."

Opportunities In Tampa Bay

It is somewhat surprising that Jiménez agreed to start the season at AAA. After all, he has had success at the MLB level before, and at 28 years old, he should theoretically be in the prime of his career. However, injuries and underperformance have plagued him in recent years. The Rays have no true designated hitter, so Jiménez may see a path to at-bats with the Rays down this line. Tampa Bay's roster construction could explain why he elected to stay instead of searching for another opportunity with a different organization.

Eloy Jiménez Must Prove Himself Again

Eloy Jiménez's career trajectory resembles that of several of his former teammates. A once top prospect who made a fair amount of money early in his career thanks to a contract extension he signed as a young player, Jiménez's career has spiraled so far south because of injuries and underperformance that he is now in AAA in what should be the prime of his career. While his MLB career is not officially over, this is certainly not a positive development for his future in the big leagues. He will have to earn every opportunity he gets from here on out.