Tampa Bay Rays sign Eloy Jimenez, several others, to minor league deals

Jimenez was once among the top prospects in all of baseball

During the month of December, the Tampa Bay Rays invited several players to minor league deals with invitations to spring training.

The most notable of those signings was Eloy Jimenez, who was once ranked as the third best prospect in the game by Baseball America. Jimenez received the ranking entering the 2019 season. It was at this time that the White Sox signed Jimenez to a six-year $43M contract extension, prior to the slugger making his big league debut.

However, the past several years have been rough for the now 28-year old as injuries and inconsistent performances have hampered his career. There are still plenty of reasons to believe in Jimenez’s offensive capabilities and he is just a few seasons removed from hitting .295/.358/.500, which registered a 143 wRC+ in 2022.

That was the high point of Jimenez’s career thus far and it came in a year that Jimenez made multiple trips to the Injured List for a variety of reasons; he would only play in 84 games.

Jimenez started the 2024 season with the Chicago White Sox but was sent to the Baltimore Orioles at the trade deadline. The trade proved to be of little consequence as Jimenez struggled, hitting .232/.270/.316 over the final two months of the season. The Orioles declined their $16.5M option on Jimenez once the offseason began.

This past season, Jimenez’s hart-hit% (49.0%) and average exit velocity (92.0) were both in the 90th percentile. However, he is now relegated to a DH only profile, meaning that he has to be a well above average offensive producer to make his spot on the roster viable.

The Rays contract with Eloy Jimenez states that he will make $2M while on the big league roster and another $2M should he receive 500 at-bats.

In addition to Eloy Jimenez, the Rays have also signed Joey Gerber and Jake Brentz to minor league deals with invites to spring training.

Brentz, 30, has big league experience with the Kansas City Royals. Originally taken in the 11th round of the 2013 draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, Brentz played for several organizations before finally breaking through with the Royals in 2021. He served as an effective reliever during his rookie campaign and seemed on his way to being a useful bullpen piece for years to come. Unfortunately, after logging just five innings in 2022, Brentz went down with an injury and needed Tommy John surgery. The southpaw rehabbed the past two years in the Royals system before leaving as a minor league free agent this offseason.

Gerber, 27, was selected in the 8th round of the 2018 draft by the Seattle Mariners. Gerber showcased himself as a dominant reliever during his ascent through Seattle’s system and allowed him to make his big league debut in 2020. However, that would be his lone big league experience as injuries have wrecked his career. From 2021 through the end of 2023, Gerber only logged one inning in the complex league in 2022. The Yankees took a chance on him in 2024, and Gerber did manage to reach Triple-A by the end of the season. He left as a minor league free agent once the offseason began.