The Chicago Cubs made a blockbuster trade with the White Sox to try and bolster their pitching rotation. The Cubs acquired Jose Quintana for prospects on Thursday. It was the first trade done between the White Sox and Cubs since 2006 when the Cubs acquired Neal Cotts for David Aardsma and Carlos Vasquez.
Eloy Jimenez dealt
The Cubs let go of their number one prospect in Jimenez in the deal. The Cubs also sent their top pitching prospect in Dylan Cease, along with Class-A prospects Bryant Flete and Matt Rose. Jimenez was the crown jewell of the trade.
Jimenez is ranked as the No. 5 propsect according to Keith Law. He is batting .271 with eight home runs in Single-A South Bend. The outfielder is just 20 years old.
The deal signals that the Cubs believe strongly in Kyle Schwarber. The Cubs outfielder missed all of last season with a knee injury. He made a comeback to the World Series and was a major contributor for the team. It has been an opposite tale this year as he is hitting .178 on the season, which is one of the worst batting averages in the majors.
Schwarber has been subject to trade rumors. He was once rumored to be part of a potential package for the Detroit Tigers to get Michael Fulmer. Instead, the Cubs believe that Schwarber will turn it around and be the hitter he once was.
Quintana brings longevity
Quintana is not having the greatest year with his 4-8 record and a 4.49 earned run average. He was 13-12 last year with a 3.20 earned run average. However, Quintana is under contract until 2020 and is set to make $8.5 million, $10.5 million, and $11.5 million over the course of those years.
The Cubs hope that he will help the rotation in the second half.
The Cubs will get Kyle Hendricks back after the break as well. The Cubs are also hoping that Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta will bounce back. For the future, the Cubs will have at least another starter to join Lester and Hendricks. Arrieta and John Lackey are set to be free agents.
White Sox have bright future
The White Sox acquired the No.
1 prospect in Yoan Moncada when they traded Chris Sale to the Red Sox. The team now has two of the best outfield prospects in their farm system. The team also have a potential bullpen arm in Cease as he continues to develop. The White Sox decided to go on a rebuild last year, and have traded away their two best pitchers. They may not be done either, as closer David Robertson could be on the move to a contender in the very near future.
