White Sox general manager Chris Getz has his work cut out for him as he tries to revive a 61-win team back into a contender. So far, Getz has been unclear about the direction he plans to take the team. Will it be a rebuild? Will it be a retool? One thing is for sure, nobody on the White Sox is untouchable this offseason unless your name is Luis Robert Jr.
Eloy Jimenez has been one of the most popular names floated around in trade talks from the fan base. There is good reason for this. So far he has failed to live up to his potential as a hitter. He is injury-prone. His name popped up in a report from Jesse Rodgers about the White Sox culture in which Rodgers said Jimenez is “happy-go-lucky but really isn’t the hard worker.”
Jimenez’s response to the firing of Kenny Williams and Rick Hahn also drew scrutiny. It sounded like it was coming from a player who does not care which was disheartening considering his poor play was one of the reasons they got canned. However, the response was in line with what fans have come to expect from the 26-year-old.
There is no denying Jimenez has talent but a change of scenery may be beneficial for both parties.
Where Did The Power Go?
In 2023 Jimenez logged his most games (120) since his rookie year (122). However, he had 13 fewer home runs, 15 fewer RBIs, and a slugging percentage that dropped from .513 to .441. His barrel percentage and hard-hit percentage also dropped.
Jimenez did have a higher batting average but the White Sox are paying him to hit home runs and 18 on the year simply isn’t going to cut it.
When looking at Jimenez StatCast batting statistics the one thing that stands out is his launch angle. In 2023 he had a launch angle of 5.7 compared to a 9.3 launch angle when he hit a career-high 31 homers in 2019.
During the shortened 2020 season Jimenez’s launch angle dropped to 5.7 but his home run output did not fall off. In fact, he hit 14 home runs in just 55 games. He also consistently hit the ball hard, with a with career-high 16.5 barrel percentage 55.7 hard hit percentage, 32.9 sweet spot percentage, and .540 expected slugging percentage, which was also inside the top nine percent in baseball. His launch angle has fluctuated since then but returned to 5.7 this past season.
In 2023 he had a career-low 9.3 barrel percentage, 26.0 sweet spot percentage, 46.8 hard hit percentage, and a .421 expected slugging percentage. These numbers suggest that Jimenez was having some issues with his timing although the revolving door of hitting coaches certainly doesn’t help matters.
Defensive Liability
Jimenez’s sole purpose on the White Sox roster is to produce runs. He has proved to be a liability defensively.
Given Jimenez’s well-documented injury history, the White Sox moved him from his primary role in left field to designated hitter.
Jimenez was vocal about not wanting to be a DH and even tried to win the starting job in right field during Spring Training. Pedro Grifol gave him some opportunities in right field and while the defensive numbers were not nearly as bad as they were when he was in left field they still left a lot to be desired.
Jimenez has a career -19 Outs Above Average. In 2023 he had a -1 OAA in right field. To his credit, he did not commit an error in right field. However, his lack of arm strength allowed base runners to advance on balls hit to him at a higher clip than the league average.
Culture Change
One of the primary focuses for the front office this offseason is overhauling the clubhouse culture. Culture is an overused word nowadays, but if the White Sox truly want to fix this it means cleansing themselves of the stink of the old regime.
One of the fastest ways to do this is by clearing out all the players who contributed to the problem. Jimenez is near the top of the list alongside Yoan Moncada. Unfortunately, Moncada’s contract will make him difficult to move. The Jake Burger trade also makes things difficult because trading Moncada would leave the White Sox with a glaring hole at third base.
Jimenez will be much easier to trade. He still has value as a hitter, and the White Sox have plenty of guys who can fill the DH role and Jimenez may benefit from moving to a new team. A fresh start is needed from both parties and other teams may view Jimenez’s bat as a chance to add some untapped potential.
Jimenez’s smile and fun-loving antics were fun at first but the charm slowly wore off as his games played and production continued to drop. If the reports about his work ethic are true (and all signs suggest they are) he is not the type of player that should be a part of this team’s core moving forward.
