LDN - Sports

LHP Quintana traded to Cubs from ChiSox

[July 14, 2017] The Sports Xchange

Jose Quintana is headed across town after a trade Thursday sent the Chicago White Sox left-handed starter to the Cubs in exchange for four prospects.

Quintana is under team control until 2020 at a team-friendly contract that includes $8.85 million in 2018, and team options in 2019 ($10.5 million) and 2020 ($11.5 million). He is scheduled to make his Cubs debut Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles.

In return for Quintana, a steady frontline starter who should bring consistency to a shaky Cubs' rotation, the White Sox landed outfielder Eloy Jimenez, the No. 5 prospect in baseball according to Baseball America's midseason rankings, right-handed pitcher Dylan Cease, first baseman Matt Rose and infielder Bryant Flete.

"The reality is, this is for the long haul," Cubs president Theo Epstein said Thursday. "This deal gives a chance to step back and survey the rest of the market. A lot will depend on how we play."

The Cubs reportedly kicked the tires on multiple starters, including Detroit Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander and Oakland Athletics right-hander Sonny Gray.

Epstein said he called the White Sox when left-hander Chris Sale was on the market over the winter, but was told the trade cost would have included third baseman Kris Bryant. The Cubs continued following Quintana, even after his earned-run average went over 5.00 in a difficult April and May.

The Cubs spent extra time and attention scouting Quintana to make certain his early season struggles weren't a sign of a physical breakdown or long-term flaw, per Epstein.

The deal between Chicago teams is the 15th in the teams' history and first since 2006, when the White Sox sent left-handed reliever Neal Cotts to the North Side.

Quintana, 28, is 4-8 with a 4.49 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 18 starts this season, his sixth with the White Sox. General manager Rick Hahn considered offers for Quintana last season at the trade deadline and again during the offseason, when Chicago moved Sale to the Boston Red Sox and traded outfielder Adam Eaton to the Washington Nationals in deals that restocked a depleted farm system.

"It is always extremely difficult to trade a person and player like Jose Quintana," Hahn said, "but difficult as it was, this deal moves us closer to our goal of building a team capable of contending for multiple championships over an extended period of time. Jose, our scouts and coaches throughout the organization deserve a tremendous amount of credit for his development from a minor league free agent signee to one of the most sought-after talents in the game."

Quintana is among the American League leaders in games started (tied for fifth) and strikeouts (tied for eighth). Quintana has gone 50-54 with a 3.51 ERA and 890 strikeouts in 172 career games (169 starts) after being signed as a minor league free agent on Nov. 11, 2011.

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"In Eloy, we are acquiring a player who, similar to (Yoan) Moncada, is viewed as one of the top prospects in baseball today with the potential for major impact in the not too distant future," Hahn said. "Dylan brings us an impressive young pitcher who is ranked among the top pitching prospects in the game."

Epstein said the trade would not have happened without the Cubs including Jimenez and Cease. Cease throws an easy 100 mph and drew praise for development of his secondary pitches -- a curve ball and changeup -- while Jimenez went to the Futures Game despite missing the first six weeks of the Class-A season with a bone bruise in his right shoulder.

Jimenez hit .329/.369/.532 with 40 doubles, 14 home runs and 81 RBI in 464 plate appearances with Single-A South Bend last season and also doubled and hit a home run in the 2016 Futures Game. His raw power led to comparisons by Baseball America of Jimenez and Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton.

Closer David Robertson is also expected to be moved before the trade deadline as the White Sox look to unload salary and continue stocking a suddenly potent farm system.

Landing Quintana affords the Cubs leverage in the offseason should right-hander Jake Arrieta opt to seek greener pastures as a free agent. Arrieta turns 32 in March.

With the addition of Jimenez (No. 8) and Cease (63), the White Sox now possess a majors high-tying nine of the Top 100 prospects in baseball, according to MLB.com. The former top two prospects in the Cubs organization join infielder Moncada (1), right-hander Michael Kopech (11), outfielder Luis Robert (23), right-handers Lucas Giolito (28), Reynaldo Lopez (36) and Carson Fulmer (59) and catcher Zack Collins (68) on the MLB.com Top 100 list.

Jimenez, 20, is batting .271 (42-for-155) with six doubles, eight home runs and 32 RBIs in 42 games with Single-A Myrtle Beach this season. He originally signed with the Cubs as an undrafted free agent in 2013.

Cease, 21, is 1-2 with a 2.79 ERA (16 ER/51.2 IP) in 13 starts with Single-A South Bend this season. He was originally selected by the Cubs in the sixth round of the 2014 draft.

Rose, 22, is batting .227 (53-for-233) with 15 doubles, 14 home runs and 38 RBIs in 65 games with Myrtle Beach this season. He was originally selected by the Cubs in the 11th round of the 2015 draft.

Flete, 24, is batting .305 (84-for-275) with 15 doubles, six home runs and 37 RBIs in 70 games with Myrtle Beach this season. He was originally signed by the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent in 2012.

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