Eloy Jiménez and Dylan Cease, the top two prospects for the Cubs, were sent to the White Sox by the Cubs as part of a five-player deal in 2017. With this trade, the White Sox gained two more huge names to an already robust farm system.
The cornerstone of the transaction was the veteran left-handed starting pitcher José Quintana, who was traded to the Cubs in exchange for Jimenez, who won the Most Valuable Player award in the Midwest League last season, and Cease, who is the best pitching prospect for the Cubs.
A deal involving the Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Cubs was verified by the White Sox on Twitter just before 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time. It included the minor league infielders Matt Rose and Bryant Flete.
It is a tremendous haul for the White Sox, a club that already possesses some of baseball’s most highly regarded prospects, such as Yoán Moncada (No. 1), Michael Kopech (No. 11), and Luis Robert (No. 23), and Lucas Giolito (No. 28). The addition of Jimenez and Cease brings the total number of Cubs prospects on MLB.com’s Top-100 list to nine.
Jimenez, who is 20 years old and plays left field, was up to bat.
In 2017 with Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach, he played 42 games and had a batting average of 271 with eight home runs and 32 RBIs.
The right-handed outfielder was selected for his second Futures Game this summer, was named a Carolina League All-Star, and brought home a suitcase full of awards and honors as a Midwest League All-Star last season when he was named the league’s MVP and Prospect of the Year.
He was selected for his second Futures Game, and he was named a Carolina League All-Star.
After batting.329 with 14 home runs and 81 RBIs in 112 games for Class A South Bend the previous year, he was recognized as a Rising Star in the Arizona Fall League and was chosen as a MiLB.com Organization All-Star for the Cubs.