Jose Quintana is a Chicago Cub — Trade Breakdown

Holy cow!

Jose Quintana (ESPN)

This morning the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox came together and completed a trade, something they had not done in over a decade.

The Chicago Cubs sent top prospects Eloy Jimenez, Dylan Cease, as well as minor leaguers Bryant Flete and Matt Rose for the Chicago White Sox’ frontline starter Jose Quintana.

At face value, the Cubs gave up A LOT for just one pitcher that’s not considered yet to be an “ace.”

Eloy Jimenez seemed to be the last in the line of top Cub prospects acquired pre-playoff runs, as he was the 8th best prospect in baseball (via MLBPipeline) and the best in the Chicago Cubs organization. A toolsy outfielder, Jimenez was hitting .270 with eight home runs for the Single-A Cubs affiliate, Myrtle Beach.

Dylan Cease was the second best prospect in the Cubs organization and number 63 in baseball. As a 21 year old, Cease had pitched in 13 games, with 74 strikeouts in 51.2 innings with a 2.79 ERA in Single-A South Bend. Cease has the potential to be a fireballing, middle of the rotation type or even potentially converting to the bull pen longterm.

Giving up two of the best prospects in any organization is a very risky move. As Brandon Anderson wrote earlier today, Theo Epstein is not the type to “trade a top prospect for a big arm to go all-in.” Last year’s trade of Gleyber Torres and others for Aroldis Chapman was out of the Cubs character — giving up long term assets for a rental better work short term.

And it did. Thank God.

This trade is a little bit different. Chapman was a rental. Quintana is a lease to buy.

Yesterday, while I was having fun on Twitter, I noticed our content manager David Blumberg had tweeted out the Dylan Cease and Eloy Jimenez had both been pulled out of last nights’ games. Blumberg had said “I sure hope we get a whale of a return then.”

Naturally, I spoke my mind.

I might of well have said Jose Quintana.

28 years old and under team control through 2020, the southpaw Quintana is exactly the long term pitching answer the Cubs were looking for. It’s almost to good to be true. The Cubs have his team option for 2019 and 2020 for only 10.5 million, which is like the Jorge Soler contract but on steroids.

Through the years 2013–2016, Quintana pitched at least 200 ininngs with a 3.35 ERA. In the American League. Reminds me of a guy named Mark Buerhle.

This is a reliable innings eating frontline starter who has been burned year after year with the White Sox because of a lack of run support. Now, placed in the National League, his ERA has room only to get better. He’s a number two starter on a good team. On the Chicago Cubs he’s a third, and on last year’s production her’s a fourth. And his run support is that of, talent wise, the best in baseball.

Since John Lackey and Jake Arrieta are both set to be free agents in this upcoming offseason, both having subpar seasons, this move allows Theo Epstein to let them explore their options. A starting pitching core of Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks and Jose Quintana is nothing to scoff at in the next few years.

Theo Epstien’s buisness model was to collect assets. Draft top college hitters for 3–5 years. Then start focusing on acquiring pitching. Build the team from within. It worked. Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Wilson Contreras, and Kyle Schwarber all proving why Cubs fans should trust Theo’s process.

The Cubs proved themselves to be a team capable of winning a title in 2015 and 2016, built around those assets. Finding miscast pitching in trades through short term free agents. (see, Scott Feldman, Matt Garza) and signing pitchers long term (Lackey and Lester) bolstered a team that finally won it all last year.

The Cubs are a pending dynasty. Theo’s game plan has changed. There are two MVP candidates in the lineup every night. Now should be the time to be chasing World Series titles, or bust.

As Boston Celtics’ general manager Danny Ainge refuses to realize, one cannot stockpile assets forever. Theo drafted these assets to play them or to trade them. The Cubs have a set lineup that can be added to through free agency, but doesn’t have to be.

The Cubs needed a very good, young, cost controlled frontline starter. The price was two top prospects. (And it very well could’ve been more, look at the Chris Sale trade)

This was the price. I’m content.

Yes, the Cubs are betting the future. What if Jimenez, Cease, or Gleybar Torres becomes a perennial all-star? Odds are, one may be. That can be lived with. Prospects fizzle out. They’re not proven commodities.

By 2021, the Chicago Cubs could have added top free agent hitters, have traded a star for even more prospects, and still be in good shape. They’ll likely have gained a huge TV contract (ahem, channel) by then, and will have room to pay for pitching. Assets will always be there with a smart front office and having the blessing of market size and a huge fan base; loads of money to work with.

The time to win is now. Even though the Chicago Cubs have had a disappointing first half, they can entirely turn that around. Kyle Hendricks is coming back. Quintana is here. Hitting will heat up. Perhaps the Cubs aren’t even done dealing, and they acquire a veteran rental in the outfield. This team is still good enough to catch the Milwaukee Brewers in the Central and most definitely a wild card spot.

And hey, the Chicago White Sox have just acquired the motherload of prospects through the Sale and Quintana deals and probably will have the best farm system in baseball. Good for them. We’ll meet up sometime… like maybe World Series in 2020.

This trade is an A. I’ll reserve the + for when Quintana wins Game 7 in the 2020 World Series.

But for now, continue to trust Theo. The Cubs have a bright, bright future, and it starts tomorrow against the Orioles in Baltimore.

*Thanks to Baseball Reference for all stats used in this piece!*

Austin Hutchinson is the Editor-In-Chief and co-founder of Wrigley Rapport. Writing and editing for Def Pen Sports, Austin covers the NBA and dabbles with the Chicago Cubs during the dog days. You can find him on Twitter @AE_Hutchinson.