Eloy Jimenez one of five Toronto Blue Jays free-agent signings
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.00 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.00 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
TORONTO – Designated hitter Eloy Jimenez was one of five free agents the Toronto Blue Jays signed to minor-league contracts on Wednesday, giving them invites to the team’s major-league spring training camp.
Infielders Carlos Mendoza and Rafael Lantigua as well as left-handed pitcher Michael Plassmeyer and right-hander Jorge Alcala were also signed.
The 29-year-old Jimenez split the 2025 season between the Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays organizations, batting .247 over 54 combined minor-league games with 13 extra-base hits and 30 runs batted in.
Jimenez signed with the Chicago Cubs as an international free agent in 2013, eventually making his MLB debut with the Chicago White Sox in 2019.
The six-foot-four, 250-pound right-handed hitter has suited up for 534 career Major League games between the White Sox and Baltimore Orioles with a career .269 average and 95 home runs.
He finished fourth in American League rookie of the year voting in 2019 and won a Silver Slugger Award in 2020.
Mendoza, 26, appeared in 97 games last season between the Detroit Tigers’ double-A and triple-A squads, batting .287 with 25 extra-base hits and 41 RBIs.
Lantigua, 27, appeared in 125 games with Philadelphia’s triple-A affiliate last season, batting .230 with 15 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, and 56 RBIs.
Plassmeyer, 29, spent the 2025 season with the Texas Rangers’ triple-A team, going 9-4 with a 4.43 ERA over 28 games.
Alcala, 30, split the 2025 season between the Minnesota Twins, the Boston Red Sox, and the St. Louis Cardinals, appearing in 56 games while posting a 6.22 ERA.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 14, 2026.