Eloy Jimenez Explains Slow Start with Savage White Sox Burn

PORT CHARLOTTE, FL - Tampa Bay Rays slugger Eloy Jimenez is making headlines—not for his bat, but for his biting humor—despite a historically slow start to spring training with his new team. The 28-year-old outfielder, who signed a minor legion deal with the Rays in the offseason, flashed a peace sign and a grin in a recent photo shared by the team, but his on-field numbers tell a different story. Jimenez is currently batting a measly .083 with a .297 OPS and six strikeouts in just 13 plate appearances this spring. Per Statfax, these marks are all career lows for Jimenez during spring training, painting a grim picture for a player expected to bolster the Rays’ lineup.

Yet, the new Tampa Bay Ray isn’t sweating it. In a quip that’s gone viral, Eloy Jimenez, the former White Sox star reportedly chuckled, “It could be worse. I could still be on the White Sox.” The comment, featured on a Rays social media graphic, has sparked laughter, debate, and a firestorm of reactions across baseball circles—especially given his struggles in pinstripes during his seven-year tenure with Chicago, where injuries and inconsistency often overshadowed his raw power.

Rays manager Kevin Cash, ever the optimist, backed Jimenez’s perspective. “He’s right. It’s important to keep these things in perspective,” Cash told reporters after a recent spring game. “Eloy’s adjusting to a new team, a new environment. We’re focused on getting him back to the player we know he can be.”

But not everyone’s laughing—or buying the optimism. Rays fans on Twitter have been vocal, with skepticism and frustration boiling over. @RaysofSunshine99 tweeted, “.083 BA and he’s cracking jokes? Jimenez better wake up or he’s gonna tank our season.” Another fan, @TBayHomerunKing, added, “I love the Rays, but signing Eloy feels like a desperation move. He’s done nothing this spring—why should we believe he’ll turn it around?” The sentiment reflects growing concern among the Tampa faithful, who are eyeing Jimenez’s slow start as a potential red flag for the 2025 campaign.

Meanwhile, Jimenez’s ex-teammates still with the White Sox, including infielder Miguel Vargas, offered a mix of sympathy and envy. “He’s lucky. At least he got out,” Vargas said in a postgame interview after a White Sox spring training loss. The comment underscores the frustration in Chicago, where the team’s 2024 season ended with a dismal 61-101 record, the worst in franchise history, and little hope on the horizon for 2025.

Jimenez’s transition to the Rays was billed as a fresh start after years of injury-plagued seasons in Chicago, where he hit .262 with 97 home runs and 274 RBIs over seven years but missed significant time due to hamstring, groin, and appendicitis issues. With Tampa Bay, the expectation was that a change of scenery and a more disciplined approach could unlock the 2019 AL Rookie of the Year runner-up’s full potential. But with spring training numbers this bleak, the road ahead looks bumpy.

Still, Jimenez’s cheeky remark about his former team hints at a confidence—or defiance—that could either inspire a turnaround or fuel further frustration. As the Rays head into the regular season, all eyes will be on whether Jimenez can silence his critics and live up to the hype in Tampa Bay—or if his slow start is a harbinger of more struggles to come. For now, the baseball world waits, wondering if the slugger’s humor will prove prophetic or painfully ironic. Stay tuned, we’ll be tracking every swing.