The Orioles acquired outfielder Eloy Jiménez from the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday for minor league left-hander Trey McGough.
The 27-year-old Jiménez is hitting .240 with just five home runs and 16 RBIs this season. He’s been limited to 65 games in 2024 because of adductor and hamstring issues after reaching double figures in homers each of his first five seasons.
Jiménez went from the Chicago Cubs to the crosstown White Sox in the 2017 deal that sent Jose Quintana to the Cubs. In his debut season of 2019, Jiménez hit 31 home runs, but he’s never played more than the 122 games he did that year and hasn’t surpassed 18 homers since.
Before he’d even played a game in the majors, Chicago signed Jiménez to a $43 million, six-year deal. That contract includes a $16.5 million team option for 2025 with a $3 million buyout, and an $18.5 million team option for 2026, also with a $3 million buyout.
The Philadelphia Phillies traded left-hander Gregory Soto to the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday and acquired lefty Tanner Banks from the Chicago White Sox in separate deals completed just before baseball’s trade deadline.
The 32-year-old Banks had a 4.13 ERA in 41 games for the White Sox. He struck out 55 and walked 15 in 48 innings.
In exchange for Banks, the major league-leading Phillies sent minor league infielder William Bergolla to Chicago. Bergolla batted .295 with 12 doubles over 235 at-bats in 67 games for Class A Jersey Shore this season.
Paul DeJong had a quick commute after getting traded from the White Sox to the Kansas City Royals: He threw his gear into a duffel bag and walked from the clubhouse on the third base side of U.S. Cellular Field to the locker room on the first base side.
DeJong was acquired for minor league right-hander Jarold Rosado in a trade announced 3 hours, 15 minutes before the game. White Sox clubhouse staff helped him pack his gear, and a Royals duffel bag awaited him in the other locker room.
DeJong, who turns 31 on Friday, did not play Tuesday night. He hit .228 with 18 homers and 41 RBIs for the White Sox, making 83 starts at shortstop and 10 at third base.
Kansas City has star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and starts Maikel Garcia in most games at third, likely making DeJong a bench option for manager Matt Quatraro.
DeJong agreed to a $1.75 million, one-year contract with Chicago and can earn $150,000 for 400 plate appearances — he has 363 — and $100,00 more for 500. He is a .229 career hitter with 134 homers and 385 RBIs for St. Louis (2017-23), Toronto (2023), San Francisco (2023) and the White Sox. He can become a free agent again after the World Series.
Meanwhile, All-Star pitcher Garrett Crochet remained with the White Sox after Tuesday’s trade deadline passed.
The left-hander was believed to be one of the best starters on the market as the days inched closer to the deadline, but both he and center fielder Luis Robert Jr. will stay on the city’s south side for the remainder of the season.
The 25-year-old Crochet (6-8, 3.23 ERA) made his first career start on opening day and currently holds the AL strikeout lead (160). He may have complicated his portability, however, by making it public he expected a contract extension and starter’s role from a new club.
GM Chris Getz expressed frustration with Crochet’s representatives on Monday but was more optimistic after the deadline.
Getz also said there was “strong interest” in Robert but nothing to satisfy the club’s desire for young offensive prospects.
Robert leads the team with 14 stolen bases, and has 12 home runs and 25 RBIs this season.
The White Sox are an MLB-worst 27-82 and took a club-record 15-game losing streak into Tuesday night’s game.
