In the deal, the White Sox receive outfielder Eloy Jimenez, right-handed pitcher Dylan Cease, and two low-level prospects in Matt Rose and Bryant Flete.
Advertisement
“It’s always extremely hard to trade a person and player like Jose Quintana”, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. Additionally, if you only look at his 4-8 record and 4.49 ERA then you’re missing the picture.
In 2001, the New York Mets traded two-time All-Star and six-time gold glove victor Robin Ventura, of grand-slam single fame, to the New York Yankees for former Rookie of the Year and three-time All-Star David Justice.
That’s not to say that Quintana’s trade value was massively harmed by his spotty performance in the first half of 2017, but it’s fair to suggest that while Sale may still be getting better, Quintana nearly certainly has already shown his best stuff.
Obviously there are always other factors in play, but in just looking at the level of talent there and how long they can all be kept on the same team, that’s a position-playing nucleus with the window of contention wide open.
Bolstering Epstein’s point is that Quintana is under club control through the 2020 season. White Sox general manager Rick Hahn has made no secret of his willingness to trade veterans for prospects as part of a long-term rebuilding project. But Hahn said he, vice president Ken Williams and chairman Jerry Reinsdorf wouldn’t let that get in the way of a good deal. “We own the fact that we had a bad first half. I think the Yankees are in a position where they can aim higher if they wait until the off-season”.
If the Cubs want to repeat as World Series Champs, the pitching needs to step up. Our goal is to win more.
Aside from Cubs fans holding on to any trinkets from a long-awaited season, it is also expected a good number of those small-wagers were dropped by tourists.
Even better for Quintana and his owners was the increase in his strikeout rate from June 1 and on.
Last season, Quintana went 13-12 with a 3.20 ERA (74 ER/208.0 IP) in 32 starts, earning his first-career All-Star nod. His acquisition may not be enough, especially if Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta don’t pitch better in the second half.
The White sox are now tied with the Atlanta Braves for the most (9) MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospects. The Cubs gave up their top two prospects in Jimenez and Cease.
Advertisement
Jimenez, with “the potential to grow into a potent offensive force”, was the key to the deal, Hahn said. They deserved a world of credit. McCarthy has had a great bounce-back year amounting to a 3.12 ERA, but he has been much luckier and has had much better defense behind him that Quintana. We weren’t supposed to be here, so we’re kind of playing with house money right now. Those two, err, colorful pseudonyms belong to a pair of Reddit users who contribute to r/whitesox, a thread for Chicago White Sox fans.
