The Baltimore Orioles continue to make moves in the final hours of the 2024 MLB Trade Deadline as it is being reported that they are acquiring outfielder Eloy Jimenez from the Chicago White Sox for reliever Trey McGough. This is clearly a salary dump as Jimenez is in the final season of his contract so let’s dive into what this means for the Baltimore Orioles going forward.
What does Eloy Jimenez do for the Baltimore Orioles this season?
The Baltimore Orioles are looking to be able to hold off both the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in the AL East and adding another bat seemingly was the move. Eloy Jimenez has not performed as well as people expected as he has a .642 OPS with five home runs and 16 RBIs in 65 games this season. He was in the final year of his six-year, $43 million contract and the Chicago White Sox found a suitor that would take on the final few months of the deal.
However, he may remain with the Baltimore Orioles for longer as they now hold his club options for the 2025 and 2026 seasons for $16.5 million with a $3 million buyout if they decide against it. The Orioles can expect him to be in the middle of the lineup right away as the full-time designated hitter as he has played only one game in the field this year. He is joining a lineup that was already third in the majors in OPS and leading the sport in home runs, so he will be a welcomed addition to make this young lineup even deeper than they already are.
With the Baltimore Orioles continuing to make moves and trade away their deep minor league prospect pool after losing a lot for the last half-decade, they are finally putting all their chips on the table with this trade deadline and making moves in an attempt to put them over the hump. Jimenez hits the ball hard, as evident by his 91st percentile in average exit velocity (92.4 MPH) and 93rd percentile in hard hit percentage (50.8%). If he can cut down on the strikeouts a bit, it will certainly help but he is a big-time bat that hits the ball over the fence. With his spray chart being primarily towards left field, it will be interesting to see how he does with the deep left-field fence inside Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
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