It seems that the consensus among insiders is that two notable players will likely not be on the roster to start the 2024 season. One of those is Dylan Cease, who has a plethora of suitors for a potential trade. The other player that seems to be as good as gone is Eloy Jimenez. This one may surprise Sox fans, but this may be in the team’s best interest.
Eloy has been a solid contributor for the White Sox when healthy, but that is just the point, he is rarely ever healthy. The most games he has played in a season was in 2019, his rookie year. That year he still only played 122 games. That was his best year by far.
In 2023, Eloy was a bit healthier, as he managed his second-most games played, 120. He just simply has not been as productive since his rookie year. In 2019, he hit 31 home runs and had 79 RBIs. The most in any year since then has been 18 home runs and 64 RBIs. That is not great for a guy who has so much potential.
But, despite the lower numbers, there should be a number of suitors for Eloy’s services, who is still just 27 and has up to three more years of team control.
I can see both the Marlins and Red Sox as potential landing spots for Eloy, as there have been rumors of both of those teams being interested. There were rumblings that the Brewers were interested in Eloy at the deadline, but they might be heading in a rebuild direction at this point.
Let’s take a look at what potential trades to Miami and Boston could look like.
Miami Receives: Eloy Jimenez
White Sox Recieve: Noble Meyer(MLB #55), Jacob Berry(MIA #4)
The Marlins would be trading out of a position of depth, that being young starting pitching. Miami made a late playoff push and they could use another middle-of-the-order bat. There aren’t that many available in free agency, so they could use some of their pitching depth to get a guy like Eloy.
Getting a guy like Meyer for the Sox would be huge, as he is Miami’s only top-100 prospect. I would imagine at this point in the offseason Eloy can get at least one top 100 guy with another solid piece on top.
Meyer was Miami’s first-round pick in the 2023 draft as a high school pitcher. He is just 18, so is far away from contributing to the big league club. This could be a reason why they would part with him, as Miami looks to enter a window of contention as soon as this season. Scouts love his fastball and slider and he can develop into a frontline starter for the White Sox to pair with Noah Schultz.
Berry was Miami’s first-round pick in 2022, but he has not lived up to his hype to this point. As a likely DH/Corner Infielder/Outfielder, he has only hit 12 home runs in 144 games to go with a .236 average and a .300 OBP. The Sox would be buying low on his potential and he could potentially turn it around with a change of scenery.
This would be a very solid return for Eloy, as he simply has not gotten the job done in Chicago. These moves would not help the Sox in 2024, but they could help them in ’25 and beyond.
Red Sox Recieve: Eloy Jimenez
White Sox Receive: Ceddanne Rafaela (MLB #72), Miguel Bleis (BOS #5)
This would be a very interesting swap. Rafaela is a major league-ready player who is just 23. He got some time up with the major league club, showing promise in just 83 at-bats. He is a potential 20 homerun hitter up the middle as he has hit 20+ home runs in the last 2 years in the minors. He can play 2B, SS, and CF. This versatility is nice, as it can move Nicky Lopez or Paul DeJong to UTL roles and you can get some upside out of the middle infield this season.
Bleis is a high-upside lottery ticket, as he is Boston’s first prospect on their list that is not in the top 100, which means he could be on the list in a year or so. He is a 19-year-old outfielder who has a good power and speed combination. He is more of a gamble than a surefire thing here, but he has the tools to become a very good major leaguer. He would be a few years away from the pros, but it is nice to stagger the talent in the farm system.
Alex Verdugo could be a target here, as there have been rumors that Boston is looking to trade him, but unless he is an add-on in the trade, I can’t imagine the Sox would want him as a main piece, as he is the same age as Eloy and will be a free agent next year. He could be a nice piece to have for the 2024 Sox, but not as a main part of an Eloy trade.
Either of these trades would be nice returns for Eloy at this point. He could get more if there is bidding for his services, but his trade value is hard to determine at this point.
