With the White Sox in vendor mode and already dealing away pending free brokers, groups are additionally inquiring about some longer-term gamers. In response to Bruce Levine of 670 The Rating, the Brewers and Marlins have each proven curiosity in outfielder Eloy Jimenez, who’s underneath contract by means of at the very least the 2024 season (and controllable by means of 2026 through two membership possibility years).
There isn’t any indication that Jimenez is being shopped, and reviews earlier this month urged that Jimenez was certainly one of 4 gamers (together with Luis Robert Jr., Dylan Stop, and Andrew Vaughn) as just about untouchable. It’s due to this fact doable that the curiosity from Milwaukee and Miami was easy due diligence, simply in case the Sox had been turning into extra open to the thought of a wider-scale rebuild.
The White Sox haven’t been solely buying and selling rental gamers, as Kendall Graveman (dealt yesterday to the Astros) remains to be underneath contract by means of 2024. However for sure, transferring Jimenez could be fairly a distinct scenario, as Chicago could be parting methods with a cornerstone participant. The Sox signed Jimenez to his six-year, $43MM deal in March 2019 earlier than he had even made his MLB debut, chatting with the boldness the entrance workplace had within the outfielder’s potential to steer the membership into a brand new period of profitable.
Whereas the membership’s on-field success has been restricted, Jimenez has held up his finish of the cut price on the plate. His .285/.328/.478 slash line over 293 plate appearances this season is fairly near his general profession line over 1581 PA, however Jimenez’s downside has been simply getting onto the sphere. A ruptured left pectoral tendon price him over half of the 2021 marketing campaign, and he missed two months of the 2022 season as a result of a hamstring harm. In 2023, Jimenez has missed roughly a month as a result of each one other minor hamstring subject and an appendectomy.
Jimenez’s lack of defensive worth is one other subject, as he has posted usually below-average grades as a left fielder. With a lot of DH days additionally required to maintain him wholesome, there’s concern that Jimenez may already be trending in direction of being a DH-only participant earlier than his twenty seventh birthday. This being stated, there’s nonetheless apparent cause why the Brewers, Marlins, or any variety of groups could be excited by including a younger, above-average hitter to their lineups, particularly at his value level. Jimenez is owed $13MM in 2024, and there are $3MM buyouts each his 2025 membership possibility ($16.5MM) and 2026 possibility ($18.5MM).
Christian Yelich has been locked into Milwaukee’s left area place, so the Brewers might both check Yelich or Jimenez in proper area within the occasion of a commerce. The likelier chance is that the Brewers would simply use Jimenez primarily as a DH, including some thump to a lineup that has struggled to generate offense this season.
Regardless of the shortage of pop, the Brewers have ridden strong pitching (and a considerably weak division) to first place within the NL Central. The Brew Crew already picked up Carlos Santana from the Pirates to assist handle first base, and Will Sammon and Tim Britton of The Athletic report that the Brewers even have curiosity in Mets outfielder Mark Canha.
The Marlins are equally hanging within the wild card race with out a lot lineup, significantly within the energy division. With Jorge Soler enjoying principally as a DH, Miami is extra apt to make use of Jimenez as a left fielder. This may create one thing of a logjam as soon as Jazz Chisholm Jr. returns from the injured record, however that’s an issue the Marlins are most likely pleased to have if it means having extra offensive choices in play.
