KANSAS CITY, Mo. (670 The Score) -- The excitement surrounding Eloy Jimenez's presence with the White Sox was clear in the clubhouse ahead of their scheduled opener at the Kansas City Royals on Thursday afternoon.
Jimenez was slated to hit fifth and start in left field, a development made possible by virtue of him signing a six-year, $43-million deal with two club options last week. In doing so, Jimenez and the White Sox avoided the complications of service time while the organization took care of its own.
It represented the kind of contract that White Sox general manager Rick Hahn will continue to explore with young talents like Jimenez.
"That's something we're going to continue to be aggressive with," Hahn said Thursday.
Jimenez's deal was one of many amid the trend of players signing extensions across baseball. Mike Trout, Nolan Arenado, Jacob deGrom, Chris Sale and Kyle Hendricks did the same, among others, forgoing the chance to hit free agency in the coming years.
The trend was born amid an offseason that saw stars like Bryce Harper and Manny Machado wait deep into the winter to sign with new teams and as left-hander Dallas Keuchel and closer Craig Kimbrel remain available on the open market. Hahn was unsure if the movement will continue or pass.
"I don't know if I'm quite ready to say that's going to be the new normal around the game, that free agency is going to be further pushed back for some players," Hahn said. "But from managing our payroll and our long-term flexibility, it's been a priority with us for a long time and something we're going to continue with."
While the White Sox are always ready to negotiate with their young talent, they don't plan to hold in-season extension talks with 32-year-old first baseman Jose Abreu, Hahn said. He's in the final year of his contract.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
