Blue Jays release outfielder after win over the Twins

The Blue Jays announced that Jiménez cleared waivers and elected free agency on May 2. That closed the book on a brief Toronto run that never really found a lasting role.

The move was easy to see coming once Springer came off the injured list. Toronto designated Jiménez for assignment on April 29, the same day Springer returned from his left big toe fracture.

That roster squeeze told the whole story. Jiménez was useful while Springer was out, but once the regular designated hitter returned, there was not much room left for a right-handed bat with limited defensive value.

Jiménez did not hit poorly on the surface. In 31 at-bats with Toronto, he went 9-for-31 with 3 RBI and a .633 OPS.

But the shape of the production was the problem. All 9 of those hits were singles, and for a player trying to hold a DH spot, that is a tough way to survive.

He also never got enough runway to change the conversation. Jiménez appeared in 12 games after the Blue Jays selected his contract from Buffalo on April 12, then got pushed back out once Springer was ready.

This was never really about one bad week at the plate. It was about fit. Schneider could use Jiménez as a designated hitter, but not many other spots, and that makes the roster math brutal when the rest of the position group is healthy.

Toronto brought Jiménez in on a minor league deal on January 14, hoping there might still be some thump left in a bat that once looked like a middle-of-the-order lock. He is still only 29 and owns 95 career home runs with a .778 career OPS.

That is why this exit still has some weight. Jiménez is not some random depth piece heading back to the market. He is a former Silver Slugger trying to prove there is still everyday damage in there.

For the Blue Jays, the decision was colder and simpler than that. Springer is back, the bench needs flexibility, and Toronto could not keep carrying a DH-only bat without much extra-base impact.

So Jiménez took the path available to him and chose free agency over an outright stay in Buffalo. That gives him another shot to find a clubhouse with a clearer lane to at-bats.

For Toronto, this was a short experiment that did its job for a minute, then ran out of room. For Eloy Jiménez, it is back to the market and back to trying to turn old power into a new opening.