Blue Jays sign Eloy Jimenez, four others to minor-league deals

The Toronto Blue Jays have signed designated hitter Eloy Jiménez and four others to minor-league contracts with invitations to the team’s 2026 major-league spring training.

Joining Jiménez on minor-league deals are infielder Carlos Mendoza, left-hander Michael Plassmeyer, right-hander Jorge Alcala and utility player Rafael Lantigua.

Jiménez, 29, is a former Silver Slugger winner and top prospect. The Dominican native had a brief stint with Toronto back in August on a minor-league deal. He is looking to rediscover the power stroke that saw him hit 31 home runs as a rookie with the Chicago White Sox in 2019.

The six-foot-four, 250-pounder struggled in 2025, batting .247 with 13 extra-base hits over 54 minor-league games split between the Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays organizations. Over 534 career MLB games, Jiménez owns a .269 average with 95 home runs and 298 RBIs.

Alcala, 30, brings experience on the mound with 200 big-league appearances, primarily with the Minnesota Twins. He spent 2025 with the Twins, Boston Red Sox, and St. Louis Cardinals, posting a 6.22 ERA while maintaining a 23.7 per cent strikeout rate.

Lantigua, 27, was once a member of the Blue Jays organization from 2016 until 2024 but never played in the big leagues. Last season, he played 125 games for the Philadelphia Phillies’ triple-A affiliate, hitting .230 with seven home runs while showing his versatility as a defender playing at shortstop, second base, third base, and all three outfield spots.

Mendoza, 26, spent his entire career in the Detroit Tigers’ system. The left-handed hitter batted .287 with an .803 OPS between double-A and triple-A last season.

Plassmeyer, 29, played with the Texas Rangers’ triple-A affiliate last season, going 9-4 with a 4.43 ERA in 28 appearances.

Pitchers and catchers are scheduled report to the Blue Jays’ training facility in Dunedin, Fla., next month.