Eloy Jiménez Lands With Orioles As White Sox Dump Contract in Trade, per Report

Tom Dierberger | Jul 30, 2024

White Sox designated hitter Eloy Jimenez rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Tampa Bay Rays at Guaranteed Rate Field. / Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Once crowned as the future face of the Chicago White Sox, 27-year-old outfielder Eloy Jiménez appears to be on the move.

Just a few minutes before the 6 p.m. ET trade deadline, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Tuesday that the White Sox traded Jiménez to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for reliever Trey McGough.

Jiménez is in the final year of the six-year, $43 million contract he signed with the White Sox in 2019. He has a $16.5 million club option for 2025 and a $18.5 million club option for 2026, but the Orioles will likely decline those, sending Jiménez into free agency this winter.

Jiménez burst onto the scene in 2019 as a 22-year-old rookie, batting .267/.315/.513 with 31 home runs in 122 games. He won an AL Silver Slugger in 2020 and notched an .858 OPS in '22, but Jimenez has struggled with injuries and has topped 84 games just once over the last five seasons.

In 65 games for the White Sox this year, Jimenez batted .240/.297/.345 with five homers and 47 strikeouts. He has endured two stints on the injured list with a left adductor strain and a left hamstring strain.

Jimenez looks set to join an Orioles lineup that leads all of baseball in homers (167) but ranks 23rd in batting average (.254).

McGough, a 24th-round pick in 2019, has yet to make his MLB debut. He has a 2.08 ERA in 16 relief appearances at Triple-A Norfolk this season.