First pitcher off the board: Cubs acquire Jose Quintana

Earlier on Thursday, the Chicago White Sox traded pitcher Jose Quintana to the Chicago Cubs.

Though Quintana’s numbers this season (4-8, 4.49 ERA in 18 starts) haven’t been up to his career standard, the five-year veteran posted a minuscule 1.78 ERA across five starts in the month of June. Blue would go on to finish third in the Cy Young voting in his first season with the Giants. Since then, however, he’s settled in.

Quintana has been fantastic in his last 7 starts posting a 2.70 ERA in 40 IP 45/12 K/BB ratio.

The Tigers desperately need to make moves for the future before the trade deadline, but Avila might have to look elsewhere to move a starting pitcher.

When the White Sox were reportedly asking for Bryant in return for Sale, he was a star.

The bigger prize for the White Sox might be Cease. He’s widely considered a top-10 prospect by most outlets.

Jimenez is batting.271 with eight homers and 32 RBIs at High-A Myrtle Beach.

The cost to the Cubs was steep: one of the four prospects was Class A outfielder Eloy Jimenez, rated as MLB’s fifth-best prospect in Baseball America’s midseason rankings. He has struck out 109 batters in 104 1/3 innings. He has walked 26, but the strikeout rate is what pops there for sure.

The White Sox and Cubs haven’t made a trade involving a former All-Star since 1992.

Taking the top two prospects in the Cubs’ organization is the latest case of the White Sox adding firepower to their own minor league system.

In 1998, the White Sox obtained Jon Garland from the Cubs in exchange for pitcher Matt Karchner. I would say that over the next 48 hours, things ramped up substantially. It’ll be interesting to see how this one plays out.

The Cubs, who ended the longest championship drought in North American sport a year ago by winning their first World Series since 1908, will have their starting rotation bolstered by Quintana’s arrival. It could well be a win-win.