A collective groan echoed across the South Side fan base recently. News dropped that Eloy Jiménez, once hailed as a savior, didn’t even make Tampa Bay’s roster. He accepted a demotion to Triple-A Durham, a cruel reality that reopened old wounds from a failed rebuild. This wasn’t just news; it was like tearing the bandage off a scar that never fully healed. Fans immediately recalled the massive $43 million contract he signed before ever taking his first MLB swing.

One fan, Mike, on the social media platform X, summed up the disbelief in a single sentence. He posted a blunt screenshot of Jiménez’s raw 2025 numbers with the Durham Bulls. Mike tweeted, “These are his numbers in TRIPLE A. Never in a million years would I have expected him to fall off this much.” The numbers were rough: in 95 Triple-A at-bats, Jiménez slashed a miserable. 232/645 OPS. He homered once, knocked in 15 runs, and showed little sign of revival. For a former top prospect, it stung that much more.

It’s hard to believe, given all the hype around the young slugger just a few years ago. Jiménez arrived for the White Sox in that massive 2017 crosstown blockbuster that sent the pitcher José Quintana to the Cubs. Jiménez was the crown jewel, a top-10 prospect destined for middle-of-the-order dominance.

Believing in his potential, the White Sox inked him to that record-setting, $43 million deal before he ever stepped into a major league batter’s box. And, at early, he rewarded their faith—smashing 31 home runs in his rookie season and winning a Silver Slugger in 2020. He looked every bit the franchise cornerstone that fans had long craved.

But then injuries struck and derailed the seemingly unstoppable path for “The Big Baby.” A torn pectoral muscle in spring 2021, which cost a meaningless homer, marked the beginning. Hamstring tears, groin strains, and even an appendectomy followed. Between 2021 and 2023, he played just over half of the team’s games. As his health declined, so did his production. As his health declined, so did his production. The power vanished, his OPS dropped, and his ground ball rate soared.

White Sox fans on Eloy Jiménez era

Many fans were focused on how Jiménez’s swing and approach seemed to deteriorate. One fan captured it well, “Guess it was not our coaches. Seems he can’t be fixed. At the end of his White Sox stay he only hit ground balls. Could lift the ball very rarely.” That observation hit home—the eye test matched the numbers.

Yet, despite the mounting frustration, there’s also a current of sympathy running through the fanbase.“The numerous leg injuries took away his power. What a shame as he is such a likable guy.” This comment sums up the sad truth. Consider the record: hamstring strains in 2021, 2022; groin issues in 2023; adductor problems in 2024. His lower half was never the same.

Not everyone sees his struggles only in the context of injury and bad luck. Some were skeptical of his offensive profile from the start. “Batters who can’t hit and just hit bombs are gonna fall off.” This suggestion? Jiménez was a bit of a one-trick pony. His game was built almost entirely on resolute power. He struck out over 26% of the time in his best year, but walked only about 5%, well below the league average. When the home runs stopped, he didn’t have the contact skills or plate discipline to carry his value.

This criticism leads fans to question: “Was he just overrated this whole time?” It’s a question born from the gap between expectation and reality. He arrived as the #3 prospect overall, the key return for Quintana, and got $43 million even without demonstrating anything in the majors. But injuries limited him to just 95 games a season. Fans watched Dylan Cease, the other guy in the trade, become a Cy Young contender while Jiménez, the supposed centerpiece, fought to stay on the field.

Given the injuries, the declining performance, and the current Triple-A status, the most pessimistic fans have reached a grim conclusion: “He should retire.” This sounds harsh — especially for a 28-year-old, actually — but it reflects how far he’s fallen. Teams traded him for almost nothing, Baltimore released him, Tampa Bay couldn’t secure him a big-league job, and now he struggles against minor league pitching.

Jiménez’s White Sox tale evokes frustration, sadness, and endless “what-ifs” among the fan base. He became the unwilling poster child for a rebuild that promised championships but delivered mostly heartache. While the debate rages about whether the Quintana trade was truly the “worst ever” – Cease’s success complicates that – the disappointment surrounding Jiménez is undeniable. His career, once full of hope, now lingers as a cautionary tale.

How will you remember Eloy Jiménez’s time with the White Sox? Let us know your thoughts.