White Sox GM: Cubs trade offer was clearly the best
In early May, Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn was quite clear when asked about his alleged disinterest in trading with the crosstown Chicago Cubs.
"Any deal we make is about maximizing the future of the White Sox," Hahn said. "We are open to business to all 29 clubs. We've been willing to trade within our division, which has far more impact on our ability to compete. So there is zero issue doing a deal with the Cubs or any of the other 28 teams after them."
Hahn backed up those words on Thursday, sending starting pitcher Jose Quintana from the South Side to the North Side for four prospects - outfielder Eloy Jimenez, right-handed pitcher Dylan Cease, first baseman Matt Rose and infielder Bryant Flete.
"We do feel we are closer in achieving our long-term goals today than we were yesterday," Hahn said. "We feel this package of prospects we received today was far and away the best offer, the best possibility, that we've discussed with any club since we started this process roughly a year ago or so.
"It's one that allows us to continue to add to the prospect base that we've accumulated in a potentially high impact way."
The Sox decided to start rebuilding last July, and much like the December trades of Chris Sale (Boston) and Adam Eaton (Washington), getting high-end youngsters was the goal.
Jiminez is the key piece for the White Sox.
Rated as the No. 5 overall prospect by Baseball America, Jimenez batted .271 with 8 home runs and 32 RBI in 42 games with high Class A Myrtle Beach this season.
The 20-year-old outfielder missed the first six weeks of the season with a right shoulder injury but still earned a spot on the World Team in Sunday's All-Star Futures Game for the second straight year.
"We view him as one of the most exciting prospects in the game today," Hahn said. "Potential middle of the order impact bat, plus bat speed, feel for the barrel, he uses the whole field and has the tools to be a plus defender on the corner.
"It's not every day you get access to a potential talent like this. Usually it occurs via the top of the draft or international moves similar with what we did with Luis Robert a few weeks back. But moving a player like Quintana gives you the opportunity to add talent like this."
Cease, 21, was 1-2 with a 2.79 ERA in 13 starts at low Class A South Bend this season. The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder struck out 74 in 51 ⅔ innings.
"Dylan Cease was a player we coveted in the (2014) draft," Hahn said. "However, the Cubs beat us to the punch in getting him done for $1.5 (million signing bonus) when they took him in the sixth round. He's a potential front end of the rotation starter, three-plus pitches and tremendous makeup."
Cease is MLB.com's No. 63 overall prospect.
Rose, 22, batted .227 with 15 doubles, 14 home runs and 38 RBI in 65 games with Myrtle Beach this season.
Flete, 24, was hitting .305 with 15 doubles, 6 homers, 37 RBI, 45 runs scored and a .355 on-base percentage in 70 games with Myrtle Beach.
With the addition of Jimenez and Cease, the White Sox have nine of the Top 100 prospects in baseball, according to MLB.com.
"We know in our minds what we feel the appropriate package is for Jose Quintana, and we looked at our board and looked at the prospects on that board and you try to crack together deals," Hahn said. "Part of that process is that you've got to kind of remove what club it is and look more at who the prospects are. We make sure we have multiple looks and a high level of comfort with anyone before we put any specific proposals out there.
"When I reached out to (Cubs president) Theo (Epstein) on Sunday, I was pretty direct as to this deal has to start with Jimenez and Cease and we build behind that. He needed some time to process all that. We reconnected again on Monday via text, and obviously this was a quick process on their side."
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To the Cubs: Jose QuintanaAfter six seasons with the White Sox, 28-year-old pitcher Jose Quintana is now a member of the Cubs. Here's a glance at his numbers for this season, and his career.
2017 stats (career)
Record: 4-8 (50-54)
ERA: 4.49 (3.51)
Starts: 18 (72)
Innings: 104.1 (1055.1)
Hits: 98 (1035)
Walks: 40 (284)
Strikeouts: 109 (890)
WHIP: 1.32 (1.250)
To the White Sox: Eloy Arturo JimenezPosition: Outfield/DH
Bats/throws: R/R
Size: 6-4, 205 pounds
Age: Turns 21 in November
Born: Santo Domingo Centro, Dominican Republic
Myrtle Beach (High A) stats:
Hitting line: .271/ .351/ .490
Hits/Runs/RBI: 42/23/32 in 42 games
Walks/strikeouts: 18/35
Dylan Edward CeasePosition: Pitcher
Bats/throws: R/R
Size: 6-2, 190 pounds
Age: Turns 22 in December
Born: Milton, Georgia
Class A South Bend stats:
Starts: 13
Record: 1-2
ERA: 2.79
Innings: 51.2
Hits/BB/SO: 39/26/74
WHIP: 1.258
Matthew Aaron RosePosition: 1B/3B
Bats/throws: R/R
Size: 6-4, 195 pounds
Age: Turns 23 in August
Born: Melbourne, FL
College: Georgia State University
Myrtle Beach (High A) stats:
Hitting line: .227/ .281/ .481
Hits/Runs/RBI: 53/30/38
Walks/strikeouts: 15/63 in 65 games
Bryant Jesus FletePosition: SS/2B/LF
Bats/throws: L/R
Size: 5-10, 146 pounds
Age: Turns 25 in January
Born: Cumairebo, Venezuela
Myrtle Beach (High A) stats:
Hitting line: .305/ .355/ .425 in 70 games
Hits/Runs/RBI: 84/45/37
Walks/strikeouts: 18/53
Source: baseball-reference.com
Scouting report
White Sox vs. Seattle Mariners at Guaranteed Rate Field
TV: Comcast SportsNet Plus Friday; WGN Saturday; Comcast SportsNet Sunday
Radio: WLS 890-AM
Pitching matchups: The Sox's James Shields (2-1) vs. James Paxton (7-3) Friday at 7:10 p.m.; Derek Holland (5-9) vs. Felix Hernandez (4-3) Saturday at 6:10 p.m.; TBA vs. Andrew Moore (1-1) Sunday at 1:10 p.m.
At a glance: The White Sox come out of the all-star break with a decidedly different look after top starter Jose Quintana was traded to the Cubs Thursday. Quintana was scheduled to start for the Sox on Sunday. The White Sox closed the first half with a trip to Oakland and Colorado. They went 2-4 and have the worst record (38-49) in the American League. Led by Nelson Cruz, Seattle is tied for fourth in the league with 431 runs scored. The Mariners (43-47) are having another disappointing season and are fourth in the AL West. The White Sox won 3 of 4 at Seattle in May, outscoring the Mariners 30-8. The Sox optioned outfielder Willy Garcia to Class AAA Charlotte on Monday. They'll make a corresponding roster move on Friday.
Next: Los Angeles Dodgers at Guaranteed Rate Field, Tuesday-Wednesday
- Scot Gregor