Per Dionisio Soldevila of Hoy Digital Newspaper, the Chicago White Sox and prospect Eloy Jimenez are finalizing a six-year, $42.5 million deal with two team options that could make it an eight-year, $75 million deal. Soldevila also reports that his contract also includes a $2.5 million bonus if he wins an MVP award. Also on the deal were Hector Gomez and Jeff Passan.
Jimenez, 22, has never appeared in a Major League game, though he has hit .311/.359/.519 in 408 minor league games across five seasons. His best season came last year when between Double-A and Triple-A he hit .337/.384/.577 with 22 home runs and 75 RBIs in 108 games. This deal keeps him in Chicago through his age 27 season at least, 29 if both team options are executed.
The deal is the largest ever given to someone with no service time already in a Major League organization. The other two contracts of this kind were signed by Jon Singleton and Scott Kingery, though neither were for this duration. It also follows a recent trend of players buying out free agent years through contract extensions.
Another reason both sides might have agreed to this contract is that now there is no need for service time manipulation. Jimenez will start the 2019 season as Chicago’s right fielder as with this deal as well as his offensive successes, there’s no reason to keep him in the minor leagues anymore.
While the AL ROY is almost destined to be Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Jimenez is poised to break onto the scene in a big way. The White Sox continue to build a team with some good young players like Jimenez, Yoan Moncada, etc., but they still have a long way to go before they can be considered contenders.
