The MLB trade deadline is still a few weeks away, but that does not stop blockbuster deals from happening. The city of Chicago was surprised beyond words on the morning of July 13th when the Cubs acquired LHP Jose Quintana from their crosstown neighbor Chicago White Sox for two of their top prospects.
Quintana was arguably the biggest trade asset in baseball considering his skill, contract structure and the rebuilding status of the White Sox; rumors swirled around that the two teams would not trade with each other and that narrative is out the window now.
This shows the different positions the two teams are in currently and they are polar opposites. The Cubs were looking to buy and add to a contending team that won the World Series last year while the Sox were aiming to rebuild and stock up on prospects.
What the Cubs got
Jose Quintana has been one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball for the past four years. The 28-year old lefty spent his entire MLB career with the White Sox and sports a career 3.51 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 6.5% walk rate, 20.4% strikeout rate, and a 0.84 home runs per 9 innings ratio. He does not get hit very hard, has very solid command, and has a nice selection of pitches that include a curve, cutter, change up, and fastball that he locates and moves well.
He became a full-time starter in 2013 after a nice rookie 2012, and in his full seasons as a starter from 13' to last year, his ERA has been 3.20 at its lowest and 3.51 at its highest, which averages out to 3.35. In all of those seasons he pitched 200 innings or more and made 32 starts, except for 2013 when he made 33 starts.
This season Quintana got off to a rough start which has him posting a 4.49 ERA, however, he has looked more like himself recently with a 2.40 ERA in his last seven starts.
Lastly, his contract situation benefits the Cubs. They have him until 2020 and will only be paid $8.8 million next season; $10.5 million in 2019 and $11.5 million in 2020.
To get a pitcher of this caliber and have that kind of contract linked to him is what brought his value up even higher. The Cubs got what they wanted, a young/in-prime arm with a number of years left, and not a rental piece.
What the White Sox got
The White Sox decided that mediocrity was enough and it was time to rebuild. Since the offseason they sold a number of veteran assets including ace Chris Sale and outfielder Adam Eaton for top prospects. While already having a top farm in baseball, they got even better with this deal as the Cubs sent them #5 prospect (Baseball America) outfield Eloy Jimenez and #83 (Baseball America) prospect RHP Dylan Cease. Also included in the deal were minor league players Matt Rose and Bryant Flete as throw-ins.
Jimenez (20) is known for slugging the ball out of the ballpark while also being a good hitter. He played in 42 games this season with high A Ball Myrtle Beach and hit eight home runs with a .351 on-base%, .813 on-base+slugging% and 32 RBIs. He has 32 home runs in 253 career minor league games going back to his first appearance in 2014 in the Arizona Fall League.
Cease (21) has played in 13 games with low A Ball South Bend this year and is sporting a 2.79 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 12.89 strikeouts per 9 innings, and 26 walks in 51.2 innings. He was drafted in 2014 and last year was put into the top-100 of Baseball America prospects and was considered the top pitching prospect in the Cubs' farm system.
Good business
This trade is a win-win for both sides. Each trade fulfilled the respective team's goals while seeming pretty fair. The White Sox are a top-farm system now that is only getting better and the Cubs were in need of more pitching considering John Lackey and Jake Arrieta will likely be gone after next season. The two prospects that the White Sox get will likely be up within a few years, along with the other numerous farm guys they are growing. The Cubs will try to win another World Series in future years, and having the veteran Quintana will aid in that endeavor.
