WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF JULY 14, 2017 “White Sox get haul in Quintana blockbuster” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Hahn has plenty of work to do before Deadline” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Which would you rather have: The Cubs rotation or White Sox farm system?” … Michael Clair, MLB.com “White Sox add to deep farm system” …Jonathan Mayo, MLB.com “Chicago neighbors have pulled off 26 trades in clubs' histories” … David Adler, MLB.com “Trades, debuts in store for Sox second half” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Cubs’ ‘best offer’ for Jose Quintana made it easy for Rick Hahn, White sox to pull trigger” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “Rick Hahn: The idea ego would prevent a White Sox-Cubs deal is ‘laughable’” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “One AL scout thinks new White Sox prospect Eloy Jiminez ‘might be a monster’, maybe better than ” … Vinnie Duber, CSN Chicago “Like with Chris Sale and , White Sox get another massive haul for Jose Quintana” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “Short journey for new White Sox prospect Eloy Jimenez after crosstown trade” … Colleen Kane, “White Sox add 'one of most exciting prospects' to booming farm system” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Phone call at All-Star fan convention helped Jose Quintana trade progress” Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Hawk Harrelson on trade: 'If you can make your ballclub better, I don't give a (bleep) who it's with'” … Teddy Greenstein, Chicago Tribune “White Sox, Frazier begin second half with more trades looming” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times “Who won the previous 5 biggest trades in Cubs-White Sox history?” … Steve Greenberg, Chicago Sun-Times “Cubs-Sox trade smacks of instant relevance and historic significance” … Steve Greenberg, Chicago Sun-Times “White Sox had no qualms about trading Quintana to Cubs” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chciago Sun-Times “Quintana deal huge for Cubs, White Sox” … Barry Rozner, Daily Herald “White Sox GM: Cubs trade offer was clearly the best” … Scot Gregor, Daily Herlad “White Sox trade Jose Quintana to Cubs for four prospects” … Dan Gartland, Fox Sports “White Sox, Cubs cold war is over with Jose Quintana trade” … Bob, Nightengale, USA Today Sports “Cubs acquire Jose Quintana from White Sox in blockbuster 5-player trade” … Bob Nightengale, USA Today Sports “Rick Hahn Hits Again With Latest White Sox Blockbuster” … Chris Emma, CBS Chicago “Cubs-White Sox Blockbuster Trade A Winner For Both Teams” … Bruce Levine, CBS Chicago “New Voice of the White Sox Says Law School Changed His Delivery” … Whet Moser, Chicago Mag White Sox get haul in Quintana blockbuster South Siders acquire top prospects Jimenez, Cease, 2 others from Cubs By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | @scottmerkin | July 13th, 2017

CHICAGO -- On Tuesday, White Sox general Rick Hahn, at the All-Star FanFest in Miami with his youngest son, Charlie, ducked behind an exhibit to take a call.

On the other end? Cubs president of operations Theo Epstein, who was interested in left-hander Jose Quintana.

By that night, the deal was agreed to and on Thursday the clubs announced the major crosstown trade that sent the White Sox ace to the defending champs in exchange for two Top 100 Prospects in Eloy Jimenez (No. 8) and right-handed (No. 63), plus Matt Rose and infielder Bryant Flete.

"Frankly, it's incredibly difficult to trade a player like Quintana. Perhaps even more so because of the type of person he is and what he's meant to this organization," Hahn said. "The Cubs are getting not only a great pitcher who we expect will thrive for them but also a tremendous clubhouse presence and a great person. It's not easy to let someone like that walk out the door."

Adding Jimenez and Cease, the Cubs' top two prospects, gives the White Sox nine of the Top 100 Prospects in baseball according to MLBPipeline.com, which is tied for the most in the Majors. Those two newly acquired players join Yoan Moncada (No. 1), right-hander (No. 11), outfielder (No. 23), right-handers (No. 28), Reynaldo Lopez (No. 36) and (No. 59) and catcher (No. 68) on the Top 100 list.

It is just the latest deal in the White Sox ongoing rebuild that has remade the organization from top to bottom. Hahn hated to give up Quintana, not only an All-Star hurler but an All-Star person, deeming his conversation with the 28-year-old southpaw one of the most difficult he has ever had.

But this latest prospect haul, with Jimenez taking the No. 2 spot among White Sox prospects and Cease sliding in at No. 8, builds on that critical mass needed for sustained success in the near future.

"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 not only was far and away the best offer, the best possibility, that we've discussed with any club since we've started this process roughly a year ago or so, but 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 highest level of interest in Quintana came last December in the days after the White Sox traded Chris Sale to the Red Sox and Adam Eaton to the Nationals and picked up again over the last five to 10 days just before and during the All-Star break, Hahn said. Hahn and Epstein exchanged text messages shortly after the 2017 MLB Draft, checking on needs and potential fits, but those interactions didn't lead to more talk until Sunday morning.

At that point, Hahn reached out to Epstein to tell him something was going to happen with Quintana in the coming days. Hahn had a fairly clear sense of what it would take for the Cubs to land Quintana, if they had interest. They were, and by Tuesday the deal was agreed upon, and details were finalized Wednesday night.

"There's nothing for us to talk about with the Cubs without Jimenez being part of it," Hahn said. "We view him -- and I think the industry, as well, so it's not just our potentially biased opinion or subjective opinion -- we view him as similar to Moncada, where Yoan was in his development the year before we acquired him, with the potential to grow into a potent offensive force. Again, one of the more exciting prospects in baseball with a diverse skill set that can impact the game multiple ways."

Jimenez, 20, is batting .271 with eight home runs, 32 RBIs and 23 runs scored over 42 games this season with Advanced Myrtle Beach in the . The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Jimenez missed the first six weeks of the season with a right shoulder injury, but he rebounded to earn a spot on the World Team at the SiriusXM Futures Game for the second consecutive season.

Cease, 21, is 1-2 with a 2.79 ERA in 51 2/3 , with 74 and a .214 opponents average over 13 starts this season with Class A South Bend. He has allowed one or no runs eight times and three hits or fewer 10 times, while averaging 12.9 strikeouts per nine innings. Cease threw six hitless innings on April 19 at Great Lakes, and he struck out 10 batters over 4 2/3 innings on April 29 at Fort Worth.

Quintana has a 4.49 ERA over 18 starts, but admitted to Hahn being somewhat affected by all of the trade talk. The 2016 All-Star moves to the North Side and joins a rotation fighting for a second straight championship, a feat the White Sox hope this same deal helps them accomplish in the future.

"Our intent was to get the best possible package of talent back, guys we project to be not only potential contributors to a championship club but impactful talent on a championship club," Hahn said. "We tried to craft what we felt was an appropriate cutoff line for what we felt was a fair return of a player of Jose's talent and control.

"It did yield not only this offer that we took from the Cubs but others we felt were above that line here in recent days. But, ultimately, the Cubs yield was far and away the most attractive given the potential impact of the front end of the deal."

Hahn has plenty of work to do before Deadline Nearly every player on White Sox roster is a trade candidate By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | @scottmerkin | July 13th, 2017

CHICAGO -- Rick Hahn's rebuilding work with the White Sox deserves the highest grades to date.

But after acquiring outfielder Eloy Jimenez, the No. 8 prospect overall per MLBPipeline.com, and right-handed pitcher Dylan Cease (No. 63) as part of a five-player deal sending Jose Quintana to the Cubs, there's still more miles to travel for the White Sox general manager. "We've got work to do over the next couple of weeks," said Hahn during a Thursday conference call following the announcement of the 15th trade all-time between the Cubs and White Sox. "We're not going to force anything, just as we didn't with the Quintana deal. We're certainly ready to move forward on the next one, should the right opportunity arise."

Closer David Robertson, third baseman Todd Frazier, right-handed reliever Anthony Swarzak and left fielder Melky Cabrera lead the list of prime trade candidates remaining on the White Sox moving toward the non-waiver Trade Deadline, with Frazier, Swarzak and Cabrera set to become free agents after this season. Robertson is owed $13 million in '18 and the remainder of $12 million for '17.

That group of players won't command as much in return as Quintana, but still should enhance the critical mass of young talent assembled by Hahn. Any of the four also could become August trade candidates if not moved before July 31. In that August scenario, players must be placed on waivers and can be traded if they clear. If a player is claimed, a trade can be arranged with the claiming team within two business days, the original team can pull back the player, or it can allow the claiming team to take him.

Players such as first baseman Jose Abreu, reliever Tommy Kahnle and even All-Star outfielder Avisail Garcia figure to bring a higher return, although all three could be part of the White Sox rebuild moving forward. Basically everyone on the active roster except shortstop and left-handed starter Carlos Rodon stand as trade candidates.

"I think we've made great strides in the last 12 months," Hahn said. "I think we've had two very fine Drafts. I think we've made a tremendous, potentially impactful international signing in Luis Robert, and with the [Quintana] trade, we've acquired some very highly regarded, potentially impact players.

"In terms of how close we are to the end of this process, I don't have an answer for that yet. We still have more work to do over the next, however many, 15, 16 days there are before this Trade Deadline. There will be more work that needs to be done this offseason, and as part of that process of preparing for the offseason, we'll assess where we are from a talent standpoint and continue on the proper path toward accumulating as much talent as we can and getting ourselves in that position.

"All I can tell you is we're in a much better position today than we were a year ago," Hahn said. "We're certainly closer to that goal today than we were yesterday."

Which would you rather have: The Cubs rotation or White Sox farm system? By Michael Clair / MLB.com | July 13, 2017

After the White Sox and Cubs agreed to a blockbuster deal in which the Cubs acquired the secret-ace Jose Quintana for a haul of prospects -- including Roy Hobbs-cosplayer Eloy Jimenez -- Chicago is set to be more powerful than ever before.

With the Cubs' young stars still fresh off a World Series title and the White Sox collecting top prospects like baseball cards, the two clubs look set to have a stranglehold over the rest of the league for the next decade. But which would you prefer to have if you were a GM starting a team: The bolstered Cubs rotation or the White Sox dream cache of youth? Let's break it down.

Cubs

Yes, the team has struggled this year, with its starters' ERA of 4.66 down from last year's 2.96 mark that was best in baseball, but who knows? Maybe they were tired from the World Series. Maybe the first half was just practice. After all, just look at the pedigree of the in the rotation:

Jake Arrieta: Won the NL in 2015 and led the Majors in hits per nine last year. Kyle Hendricks: Led the Majors with a 2.13 ERA in 2016. : Went 19-5 with a 2.44 ERA last year, and he can even pick off runners now.

John Lackey: His 181 career victories are third among active starters, and his 3.03 ERA from 2015-16 ranked 11th -- .01 points behind Hendricks' mark of 3.02 in that time frame.

Now add Quintana to that mix. Just like his new teammates, the left-hander has struggled this year. But coming into the season he had never had a year with an ERA over 3.76 -- this despite playing in the bandbox-like and while pitching in the . He topped 200 innings every year between 2013-16, and his 3.35 ERA in that time ranked 34th in the Majors. description

With ZiPS projecting every Cubs starter, including Quintana, to perform closer to their established norms, this is the kind of rotation that can match up with any in baseball -- including the -led Dodgers and -fronted Indians.

White Sox

They practically own the Minor Leagues. Before the trade, they had MLB Pipeline's top prospect in the game with Yoan Moncada. They also had the 11th, 23rd, 28th, 36th, 59th and 68th ranked prospects (pitcher Michael Kopech, outfielder Luis Robert, pitcher Lucas Giolito, pitcher Reynaldo Lopez, pitcher Carson Fulmer and catcher Zack Collins, respectively).

That's the kind of system that has fans dreaming of a string of pennants hanging around the outfield. Now the team has added Jimenez. Not only is he ranked as the No. 8 prospect in baseball, but he regularly treats stadium lights as his personal destruction projects

The White Sox also acquired the No. 63 prospect in starter Dylan Cease -- and all he's done is strike out over 12 batters per nine with a 2.54 ERA in three Minor League stops. Additionally, they've added two other Cubs prospects. That's a system not just filled with prospects, but overstuffed like Joey Chestnut after an eating contest. Obviously, not every prospect reaches his ceiling. But some do. It's hard to see Jimenez not at least crushing dingers at the big league level and Cease giving the White Sox a three- headed monster of future rotation stalwarts. With nine players in the Top 100 rankings, the White Sox could whiff on half of these players and still have the makings of a competitive ballclub.

Now then, it's up to you decide. If you were a GM starting a team today, would you want to start with the win-now rotation of the Cubs or bank on the future of the White Sox farm system?

White Sox add to deep farm system After trading Quintana, Sale and Eaton, club reloads with top prospects By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com | @JonathanMayo | July 13th, 2017

Ever since the White Sox started to clean house last offseason with the trade of Chris Sale and then Adam Eaton, questions about the when/if status of dealing lefty Jose Quintana circulated. It turns out the when was Thursday morning.

Once again, the White Sox did extremely well in terms of adding to what is already a very deep farm system by acquiring outfielder Eloy Jimenez and right-hander Dylan Cease. Jimenez, No. 8 on the current Top 100 prospects list, is a two-time Futures Gamer with the power profile that will fit perfectly in right field and draws some comparisons to .

Cease is at No. 63 currently, but could make a healthy jump when all lists are re-ranked later this month. He's put surgery in his rearview mirror and was easily reaching the upper-90s mph in the during his full- season debut. Command still needs to come, but he has frontline starter potential.

Jimenez will slot in as the White Sox's No. 2 prospect currently, with Cease at No. 8, again subject to change with the re- ranks. Combining them with prospects brought in via those Sale and Eaton deals means the organization has added six Top 100 prospects in three trades. Add in the big international signing this summer of Luis Robert (also in the Top 100), nine of the organization's top 13 prospects all joined the system in the past seven months or so.

It's been a remarkable transformation as the White Sox have continued to be able to pluck the top prospects from rich farm systems. Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech were No. 1 and No. 5 in the Red Sox system at the time of the Sale deal. Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez were ranked Nos. 1 and 3 on the Nationals list at the time of the Eaton trade. Now they are getting the Cubs' Nos. 1 and 2. And that doesn't mention the other solid prospects who were secondary acquisitions. To say the White Sox have maximized return would be an understatement.

Back in January, when MLBPipeline.com first unveiled all of its 2017 rankings, the White Sox system was ranked No. 3 in all of baseball, behind only the Braves and the Yankees. There will be a new top 10 organizations ranking to go along with all of the new lists, and things like Draft classes and July 2 international signings will have be taken into account, but it's hard to imagine the White Sox not ascending to the top spot of that list.

Externally, the Yankees system has taken a in terms of graduations (, Gary Sanchez) and some injuries (Gleyber Torres, James Kaprielian). That probably means the Braves give the White Sox their biggest competition. They've lost Dansby Swanson from the top of the list, but they are still extremely deep, with some players making very large steps forward.

But this is really more about what the White Sox have done internally to potentially vault to that top spot. Some of the arms haven't been consistent performers, like Giolito and Lopez from the trade front and Carson Fulmer (2015 Draft) from the homegrown talent group. And 2016 first-rounder Zack Collins hasn't hit the way he is capable, though he did just attend the SiriusXM Futures Game. But even if some were to drop off the Top 100, others like Alec Hansen (2016 Draft), (Eaton trade) and even Spencer Adams (2014 Draft) could find their way onto the Top 100 at some point.

The White Sox's Draft haul does not add much to the top of the list, but with a top of a list like this, that doesn't hurt their standing at all. College performers like , and Evan Skoug will fill in the lower two-thirds of the list, adding more depth, which was the one thing the Braves could have over Chicago.

And who knows who else is coming? There are veterans who have trade value still in Chicago, like Todd Frazier, Melky Cabrera and David Robertson. If recent history is any indication, the White Sox will get more than expected in return, leaving no doubt at all about which is the top farm system in all of baseball.

Chicago neighbors have pulled off 26 trades in clubs' histories By David Adler / MLB.com | July 13th, 2017

With the 2017 Trade Deadline just weeks away, it was the Windy City that kicked off the action.

The Cubs and White Sox pulled off their first trade in more than a decade on Thursday, and it was a big one. To the North Side: longtime White Sox workhorse Jose Quintana. To the South Side: the Cubs' top two prospects, outfielder Eloy Jimenez and right-hander Dylan Cease, and two others.

"This notion that we wouldn't do business with them because they're in town, or somehow we would actually take an inferior baseball deal for non-baseball reasons -- because of emotion or a rivalry, or something totally unrelated to putting the best possible team on the field for the next several years, is frankly somewhat laughable," White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said Thursday. "If we really felt motivated to take an inferior baseball deal, to not put this organization in the best possible spot to win multiple championships simply because of emotion, then we would be the wrong people running this club."

The last trade between the two Chicago clubs took place on November 16, 2006, when the White Sox sent Neal Cotts to the Cubs David Aardsma and Carlos Vasquez. All told, there have been 26 Cubs-White Sox trades in the teams' long histories. Here's a look back at some of the more notable deals:

July 29, 1998: White Sox trade Matt Karchner to the Cubs for Jon Garland

Garland was a first-round pick by the Cubs in the 1997 Draft, but they traded him a year later in a Deadline deal for the reliever Karchner as they geared up for a playoff push. The Cubs did win the Wild Card, their first playoff appearance since 1989, but Karchner struggled, with a 5.14 ERA in 29 appearances for the Cubs that year.

Garland, meanwhile, went on to become a franchise mainstay on the South Side. He pitched his first eight seasons with the White Sox in a 13-year career. He was a key member of the starting rotation for the 2005 team that ended the franchise's 88-year World Series drought, going 18-10 with a 3.50 ERA, making the All-Star team and finishing sixth in American League Cy Young voting. In two postseason starts, Garland threw a to beat the Angels in the ALCS and went seven innings in a win over the Astros in the World Series.

March 30, 1992: Cubs trade to the White Sox for and Ken Patterson

In exchange for the veteran outfielder Bell, the Cubs got one of the most powerful sluggers to ever play the game. Sosa was just 23 years old when he played his first game for the Cubs, but he would go on to crush 545 home runs in 13 seasons with the team. That included 66 in 1998, when Sosa lost the memorable home race to Mark McGwire but won the NL MVP trophy. Sosa was a seven-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger with the Cubs, leading the league in homers twice and hitting 40 seven times.

Bell was a former MVP and coming off an All-Star season with the Cubs at the time of his trade to the White Sox. But he ended up playing only two more seasons on the South Side before retiring in 1993, as he struggled through knee injuries.

January 25, 1983: White Sox trade and Warren Brusstar to the Cubs for Scott Fletcher, Randy Martz, Pat Tabler and Dick Tidrow

This was the largest trade between the two clubs by total number of players. Trout ended up having the main impact among those involved, as he was a member of the Cubs' rotation in 1984 that helped the Cubs make the playoffs for the first time in 39 years. Trout went 13-7 with a 3.41 ERA in 32 games for the '84 Cubs. He won Game 2 of the NLCS against the Padres with an 8 1/3 , two-run effort and pitched 2/3 of an inning in relief in Game 5.

December 11, 1973: Cubs trade Ron Santo to the White Sox for Ken Frailing, , and Jim Kremmel

Santo was on the tail end of his Hall of Fame career, but he was still a nine-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glover who had played all 14 of his Major League seasons with the Cubs at the time of his trade to the South Side. He had made the Midsummer Classic in each of his last three years with the Cubs.

Earlier that year, Santo had become the first player to use 10-and-5 rights to block a trade, which would have sent him to the Angels. With the third baseman's preference to remain in Chicago, a deal was worked out with the White Sox. Santo retired at age 34 after one season with the Sox.

Trades, debuts in store for Sox second half Chicago may look to move veterans, while top prospect Moncada expected to debut By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | @scottmerkin | July 13th, 2017

CHICAGO -- If your name isn't Tim Anderson or Carlos Rodon and you are a player on the White Sox active roster, you might do better to rent than to buy in the Chicago area.

That statement isn't meant to be glib, but simply an honest representation of the current White Sox rebuild. With the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline fast approaching, general manager Rick Hahn will be listening on offers for pretty much everyone and anyone.

The White Sox started dealing Thursday, when left-handed starter Jose Quintana, who has put together four straight seasons of at least 200 , 30 starts and an ERA of 3.51 or below, was dealt to the Cubs for a package of prospects.

Third baseman Todd Frazier and left fielder Melky Cabrera, who are free agents after the 2017 season, certainly would be prime trade candidates, The same holds true for relievers such as closer David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle and Anthony Swarzak.

Money could be an issue for Frazier (earns $12 million overall in '17), Cabrera ($15 million in '17) and Robertson (owed a little less than $19 million over the next two seasons). The prospective seems fairly straightforward: more high-end prospects to add to a critical mass that already includes MLBPipeline.com's top prospect in Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Luis Robert and Lucas Giolito.

The time to contend lies at least two seasons away for the White Sox. Building for that contention could be greatly enhanced over these next two weeks.

WHAT ARE THEY PLAYING FOR?

Some fans would argue the White Sox are playing for the best position possible in the 2018 MLB Draft, meaning the more losses, the better. But Hahn has stated a rebuild doesn't necessarily equal tanking. The White Sox will continue to play hard, while getting a look at some of their top prospects who figure to arrive in Chicago during the second half.

THE ROAD AHEAD

The Cubs stand as the defending World Series champions while the White Sox are in rebuild mode, but their records are separated by only 4 1/2 games. So the two games at Wrigley Field on July 24-25 and two at Guaranteed Rate Field on July 26-27 should be entertaining and more competitive than many expected back in late March. The White Sox play home-and-home two-gamers with the Dodgers (July 18-19 in Chicago, August 15-16 in ), meaning and Moncada could share the field.

KEY PLAYER

All eyes will be transfixed on Moncada, who certainly will reach the Majors this season and could be there shortly after the All-Star break. The switch-hitting second baseman consistently has shown off his wide array of skills for -A Charlotte, including much improved defense at second base. As for the current big league side, the challenge for Avisail Garcia is carrying out his All-Star first half for a full season.

PROSPECTS TO WATCH

See the above answer in Moncada, and once Moncada earns the callup, look for him to play almost every day. But Moncada does not stand alone, with right-handed starters Reynaldo Lopez, Giolito and Carson Fulmer and right-handed reliever in play to reach the Majors.

Cubs’ ‘best offer’ for Jose Quintana made it easy for Rick Hahn, White sox to pull trigger By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | July 13, 2017

After they missed on closing out a Jose Quintana trade last offseason, the White Sox converted on Thursday morning and gave an already-impressive rebuild another layer.

Only four days after talks began, the White Sox agreed to send their 2016 All-Star pitcher to the Cubs in exchange for a four-player package that includes highly-touted prospect Eloy Jimenez. The right fielder gives the White Sox a critical potential impact bat they needed as part of their plan as well as a hard-throwing right-hander in Dylan Cease, whom one American League scout described as a poor man’s Michael Kopech, and two Single-A infielders. The contents of the package were good enough to convince general manager Rick Hahn to part with Quintana, who blossomed during his 5 1/2 seasons with the White Sox. Hahn said his team’s return from the Cubs far exceeds any offer they’d previously received.

“We had a few things that we felt got to about that 5-yard line (in December) and then in the end, for whatever reason, things fall apart, which happens frankly more often than not in these situations,” Hahn said. “In our opinion, in retrospect this deal actually trumps anything that we discussed last offseason.”

After a quick discussion last month, talks between the teams gained steam on Sunday when Hahn texted Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein to see if he had interest in Quintana. Hahn didn’t realize it at the time, but he inadvertently texted Epstein during the ’ 10-run first inning on Sunday.

Having previously held discussions with others clubs that were advanced enough where the White Sox considered holding Quintana from starting on Friday in Denver, Hahn wanted to gauge the Cubs’ interest. He immediately informed Epstein the White Sox would only move forward if Jimenez and Cease were included in the package. A day later, Epstein contacted Hahn, who was in Miami at the All-Star Fan Fest with his son, Charlie. The two traded text messages back and forth while Hahn sat in the Marlins Park crowd for Tuesday’s All-Star Game before they reached an agreement.

“This was the best package offered to us and we were ready to pull the trigger on it and it finally came into place,” Hahn said.

The package gives the White Sox arguably the best farm system in baseball. The team now possesses nine of MLBPipeline.com’s top-100 prospects and seven top-100 farmhands, according to BaseballAmerica.com. Of MLB.com’s nine, six have been acquired in the trades for Quintana, Chris Sale and Adam Eaton.

The return also validates Hahn’s decision to hold off on trading Quintana last offseason. Hahn and the White Sox received some criticism in May when Quintana had two of the worst starts of his career in consecutive outings.

Reviews from scouts around the league varied but mostly favored the package the White Sox received. One AL scout said Jimenez “might be a monster — wouldn’t surprise me if he ends up better than (Yoan) Moncada.” A scout said the White Sox end of the deal is “good not great — Jimenez is really good.” One reason several scouts cited for a good grade instead of great is the question of whether or not Cease sticks as a starting pitcher. Either way, Hahn said he’s more than satisfied with what the White Sox got back dating back to when Quintana unofficially became available last season.

“This package of prospects we received today not only was far and away the best offer, the best possibility, that we’ve discussed with any club since we’ve started this process rough a year ago or so,” Hahn said. “But it’s one that allows us to continue to add to the prospect base that we’ve accumulated in a potentially high impact way.”

Rick Hahn: The idea ego would prevent a White Sox-Cubs deal is ‘laughable’ By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | July 13, 2017

When asked about the possibility of ego preventing a Cubs-White Sox trade, Rick Hahn nearly channeled and dropped a “Clown question, Bro.”

After tireless rounds of scorching hot takes from local media on whether or not the White Sox and Cubs could ever come to an agreement, the two sides competed a blockbuster on Thursday morning. The White Sox and the Cubs finalized a deal that sends 2016 All-Star pitcher Jose Quintana to the Cubs in exchange for elite prospect Eloy Jimenez, Top 100 prospect Dylan Cease and two High-A infielders.

Hahn said the four-player package is by far the best he’s received since the White Sox began soliciting offers for Quintana last July. Though the White Sox and Cubs have a crosstown rivalry, Hahn said it would have been foolish for politics to prevent a critical trade for both sides.

“This notion that we wouldn’t do business with them because they’re in town or somehow we would actually take an inferior baseball deal for non-baseball reasons, because of emotion or a rivalry, or something totally unrelated to putting the best possible team on the field for the next several years is frankly somewhat laughable,” Hahn said on a conference call. “That’s not how Jerry is wired, Kenny is wired, I’m wired or anybody in the organization. If we really felt motivated to take an inferior baseball deal, to not put this organization in the best possible spot to win multiple championships simply because of emotion, then we would be the wrong people running this club.”

The deal is the first between the two clubs since the Cubs sent David Aardsma to the White Sox in exchange for Neal Cotts in 2007. The teams have only agreed upon five deals since 1990, the biggest of course involving the Sammy Sosa for George Bell swap in 1992.

One AL scout thinks new White Sox prospect Eloy Jiminez ‘might be a monster’, maybe better than Yoan Moncada By Vinnie Duber / CSN Chicago | July 13, 2017

White Sox fans have a new prospect to salivate over as the rebuild got another huge jolt Thursday.

The White Sox sent Jose Quintana to the Cubs in exchange for a four-prospect package headlined by outfielder Eloy Jimenez, ranked as high as the No. 5 prospect in the game by some publications.

Even though Yoan Moncada is rated as high as baseball's top prospect, Jimenez is getting rave reviews, with one scout saying Jimenez might end up being the best of the White Sox current highly-rated crop.

“Might be a monster,” one American League scout told CSN White Sox Insider Dan Hayes. “Wouldn’t surprise me if he ends up better than Moncada.”

Well OK then.

Here's a look at where the White Sox minor leaguers rank in MLB Pipeline's rankings:

1. Moncada 8. Jimenez 11. Michael Kopech 23. Luis Robert 28. Lucas Giolito 36. Reynaldo Lopez 59. Carson Fulmer 63. Dylan Cease, also acquired in Thursday's trade 68. Zack Collins

Like with Chris Sale and Adam Eaton, White Sox get another massive haul for Jose Quintana By Dan Hayes /CSN Chicago | July 13, 2017

He’s no longer a member of the White Sox, but Jose Quintana isn’t moving far away.

The White Sox traded their dependable, cost-controlled starting pitcher to the Cubs on Thursday morning in exchange for four prospects, including highly touted outfielder Eloy Jimenez. Jimenez is the No. 5-rated prospect in baseball, according to BaseballAmerica.com, and No. 8 overall, according to MLBPipeline.com.

The White Sox also acquired pitcher Dylan Cease, who is ranked 63rd by MLBPipeline and 80th by , as well as infielders Matt Rose and Bryan Flete.

“In Eloy, we are acquiring a player who, similar to (Yoan) Moncada, is viewed as one of the top prospects in baseball today with the potential for major impact in the not too distant future,” general manager Rick Hahn said. “Dylan brings us an impressive young pitcher who is ranked among the top pitching prospects in the game.”

Rumored to be on the block since December, the White Sox gambled that by hanging onto Quintana they could reel in another massive haul similar to the ones they did with the trades of Chris Sale and Adam Eaton. Those trades all netted a number of top prospects that helped revamp the White Sox farm system overnight. The club appears to have done so yet again with the acquisition of Jimenez, who earlier this week appeared at the All-Star Futures Game for a second straight season.

But the move comes at the cost of the ever-dependable Quintana, who was a stalwart in the team’s rotation since his arrival in 2012. Though Quintana struggled over the season’s first two months, he’s bounced back stating in June. Quintana posted a 2.70 ERA and struck out 45 batters in 40 innings in his last seven starts.

That rebound might have helped Quintana’s marketability as the Cubs were willing to part with Jimenez, who previously was believed to be untouchable. Jimenez, who currently plays at Class-A Myrtle Beach, is hitting .271/.351/.490 this season with eight home runs and 32 RBIs in 174 plate appearances.

“Might be a monster,” one American League scout said. “Wouldn’t surprise me if he ends up better than Moncada.”

Short journey for new White Sox prospect Eloy Jimenez after crosstown trade Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | July 13, 2017

Eloy Jimenez didn’t have to travel far for his first game in the White Sox organization.

The Sox’s Class-A Winston-Salem team happened to be playing Thursday at Class-A Myrtle Beach, the team for which Jimenez played while with the Cubs.

After the Cubs traded Jimenez with three other prospects to the Sox for Jose Quintana on Thursday, he simply had to change clubhouses and uniforms.

Jimenez played right field and batted cleaned up for Winston-Salem, and Bryant Flete and Matt Rose, two of the other prospects who were traded, were also in the starting lineup Thursday in a 3-2 victory against their former team.

Jimenez went 1-for-4 with two RBIs in his debut with the Sox organization. Flete started at second base and was 1-for-3 with a walk. Rose started at first base and was 0-for-4.

Right-hander Dylan Cease, the fourth prospect in the trade, joins Class-A Kannapolis.

Winston-Salem has two more games against Myrtle Beach, with ranked prospect Dane Dunning on the mound Friday.

White Sox add 'one of most exciting prospects' to booming farm system Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | July 13, 2017

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said his phone call to left-hander Jose Quintana to tell him him he was traded to the Cubs was one of the more difficult ones he has had to make in his tenure.

Since 2012, Quintana has been known as a well-liked, hard-working and consistently positive presence — not to mention an excellent pitcher — for the Sox, but the club decided to part with him for four Cubs prospects with a view on the future.

That future now includes seven prospects in Baseball America's Top 100, including the newest additions, No. 5 Eloy Jimenez and No. 83 Dylan Cease. Unranked Matt Rose and Bryant Flete also were included in the deal.

"The Cubs presented far and away the best offer that we've discussed with any club since we've started this process," Hahn said. "We do feel we are closer in achieving our long-term goals today than we were yesterday."

All of the Sox's prospects ranked in the top 100 have been acquired since the winter meetings in December, when the club started its rebuild with the trades of Chris Sale and Adam Eaton.

No. 1 Yoan Moncada and No. 20 Michael Kopech arrived via the Red Sox for Sale. No. 45 Luis Robert was signed out of Cuba in May. And No. 59 Reynaldo Lopez and No. 75 Lucas Giolito were part of the Eaton deal with the Nationals.

In Jimenez, the Sox have a prospect Hahn compared to Moncada a year ago.

The 20-year-old corner outfielder signed as the top international prospect out of the Dominican Republic in 2013 for a $2.8 million bonus. Over 253 games since 2014, he has a .293 batting average, 64 doubles, 32 homers, 173 RBIs and a .813 OPS. At high Class A Myrtle Beach this year, he is hitting .271 with eight homers, 32 RBIs and an .841 OPS.

"We view him as one of the most exciting prospects in the game today," Hahn said. "He has potential to be a middle-of- the-order impact bat. (He has) bat speed and a feel for the barrel. He uses the whole field and has the tools to be a plus defender on the corner."

Cubs manager Joe Maddon said during that Jimenez had "tremendous understanding of his swing" for his age.

"Watch him take batting practice," Maddon said. "His left-field foul line is pretty much left-central. He doesn't hook the ball. He stays inside the ball as well as a seasoned Edgar Martinez did. It's that approach, or 's.

"It's really sophisticated or beyond his years at 20."

Hahn said they view Cease, a 21-year-old right-hander, as a possible front end of the rotation starter. The Cubs drafted Cease in the sixth round in 2014 knowing he would need Tommy John surgery. He has been limited in his innings since making his rookie-level debut in 2015 and has posted a 2.79 ERA with 26 walks and 74 strikeouts over 13 starts this year at Class A South Bend.

Hahn said Cease's season is similar to what Kopech is going through at -A Birmingham.

"It's a matter of him taking the ball every fifth day and getting a full year of development under his belt," Hahn said. "From a stuff standpoint, his probably has returned to the level that we projected it to get to during the draft. He certainly has three potential out pitches and a work ethic and makeup that allows him to potentially be that front-end type guy."

Flete is a 24-year-old infielder who signed as an international prospect out of Venezuela in 2012. He is hitting .305 with 15 doubles, six homers, 37 RBIs and a .355 on-base percentage in 70 games with Myrtle Beach this year.

Rose, 22, was an 11th-round draft pick in 2015. The first baseman is hitting .227 with 15 doubles, 14 homers, 38 RBIs, 15 walks and 63 strikeouts over 65 games with Myrtle Beach.

The Sox aren't necessarily done adding to the farm system.

They have several other players they could move for prospects before the July 31 trade deadline, including David Robertson, Todd Frazier and Melky Cabrera.

"We have work to do over the next couple of weeks," Hahn said. "We're going to stay on it. We're not going to force anything, just as we didn't with the Quintana deal. We're certainly ready to move forward on the next one should the right opportunity arise."

Phone call at All-Star fan convention helped Jose Quintana trade progress Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | July 13, 2017

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn was at the All-Star Game FanFest on Tuesday with his younger son when Cubs President Theo Epstein called.

Hahn, knowing the call was about the most anticipated trade in Chicago baseball this season, ducked behind an exhibit to talk specifics.

If only the exhibits had ears, the blockbuster trade might have been scooped before the Cubs and Sox issued the shocking announcements Thursday, though a pair of Reddit users apparently put the rumor out there Wednesday night. The Sox sent left-hander Jose Quintana to the Cubs for prospects Eloy Jimenez, Dylan Cease, Matt Rose and Bryant Flete.

The initiation of the deal came Sunday, when Hahn texted Epstein to let him know the negotiations for Quintana were likely to come to a head over the next few days. Hahn said he was direct that the deal had to begin with Jimenez and Cease.

"If they were interested, then now was the time to engage," Hahn said.

The pair reconnected Monday, spoke Tuesday about the Cubs' willingness to include their top two prospects and texted throughout the All-Star Game to figure out the final two pieces of the deal. It was finalized Wednesday night and announced Thursday morning.

It put to end seven months of speculation about where Quintana might end up.

Hahn said there were other deals for Quintana close in December, but they fell through. He also said the interest remained "very strong" through Wednesday, and the Sox were even in negotiations with a different team Saturday that prompted them to consider scratching Quintana for his final start before the All-Star break against the Rockies. But it wasn't close enough to pull him out.

Then the Cubs deal was finalized.

"In our opinion, in retrospect, this deal trumps anything we discussed last offseason," Hahn said.

Hahn said earlier this season that he was willing to do business with the Cubs, but speculation continued that he really wouldn't deal with the crosstown rival. Hahn said Thursday he found it "somewhat laughable" that the Sox would let such a deal lapse because of an interleague, intra-city rivalry.

"If we really felt motivated to take an inferior baseball deal, to not put this organization in the best possible spot to win multiple championships simply because of emotion, then we would be the wrong people running this club," Hahn said.

Hawk Harrelson on trade: 'If you can make your ballclub better, I don't give a (bleep) who it's with' Teddy Greenstein / Chicago Tribune | July 13, 2017

Hawk Harrelson loves Jose Quintana. But he might love the trade that ships him to the North Side even more.

“I’m happy, and I’ll tell you why,” Harrelson said by phone minutes after the Cubs and White Sox announced the five- player deal.

“Like we talked about last year, Chris Sale was my third-favorite all-time White Sox player. But he wasn’t going to do us any good going forward. Same for Quintana. A terrific young man and a hell of a pitcher. If what we got is commensurate with his talent, I think it’s a hell of a deal.”

The trade sends four prospects — outfielder Eloy Jiménez, right-hander Dylan Cease, first baseman Matt Rose and infielder Bryant Flete — to the Sox.

Both Harrleson and TV broadcast partner Steve Stone rave about Quintana, 28, who has a career 3.51 ERA.

“A wonderful guy,” Stone said, “and I believe he was the No. 1 starting pitcher currently on the market.

“I talked to some scouts who said his value had diminished by starting 4-8. I told them: ‘You’re only saying that because you want to acquire him. That or you don’t understand the value of a 200-inning, 30-plus starting left-hander with a 3.5 ERA in a hitters’ ballpark.’ There is no devaluation of Jose Quintana.”

Said Harrelson: “There are no negatives with him. He’s not afraid to pitch out of jams. He has big stones, and that can mean a lot to a club. Like Sale, he will back up his players. If somebody hits a Cub, Jose might hit a couple back.”

Thursday’s deal represents the first Cubs-Sox trade since Neal Cotts and David Aardsma swapped jerseys in 2006.

In 1973, Stone moved from Comiskey Park to Wrigley Field as part of a five-player deal involving Ron Santo.

“The question you ask is: Am I a better team by making the trade?” Stone said. “If the answer is yes, then you make the trade.”

Harrelson also has no issue with the Cubs-Sox swap.

“Same with the Yankees and the Red Sox,” he said. “If you can make your ballclub better, I don’t give a (bleep) who it’s with.”

White Sox, Frazier begin second half with more trades looming Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times | July 13, 2017

The 38-49 White Sox have the worst record in the American League. They almost got no-hit by a rookie on the last day before the All-Star break. They rank 29th of 30 teams in quality starts and 26th defensively, according to Fangraphs.

They had one All-Star, Avisail Garcia, who took a 1-for-30 slump into the midsummer classic Tuesday.

Paints a bleak picture of the product on the field, no?

It only got worse when No. 1 starter Jose Quintana was traded to the Cubs Thursday. Former All-Star third baseman Todd Frazier and closer David Robertson are on the block, too. Outfielder Melky Cabrera is in the final year of his contract and would also be available in a trade for a prospect, and with every contending team seeking bullpen help, Tommy Kahnle and Anthony Swarzak could be dealt.

While most Sox fans seem to be standing behind the front office’s rebuilding effort and are encouraged by the sizable influx of prospects into the farm system, the players on the current roster are dealing with the inevitable.

“The trades are going to be happening soon,’’ Frazier said last weekend, before the Quintana deal. “But I don’t think anybody is worried about that till the time comes.’’

The time could be drawing near for Frazier, whose contract is up after the season. A cleanup hitter whose triple crown numbers (.213 average, 16 homers, 44 RBI) are all over the board, Frazier has played sound defense, owns a .335 on- base percentage and has a .923 OPS since June. Frazier hit 35 and 40 home runs the last two seasons, the former for the Reds in 2015.

The Red Sox and Yankees could both use some added pop at the hot corner, and Frazier is the most obvious option for an upgrade, especially for the Red Sox.

“It goes without saying we’re examining the third base situation very closely,” Red Sox president Sam Kennedy told CSNNE.

On Friday, the Red Sox designated third baseman Pablo Sandoval for assignment. Sandoval is in the third season of a five-year, $95 million contract. For now, the Red Sox forge ahead with a platoon of Deven Marrero and Tzu-Wei Lin. The non-waiver trade deadline is July 31.

To know Frazier, a veteran clubhouse leader, and to see him interact with teammates is to believe him when he says he likes playing for the White Sox.

“This team is great, man,’’ he said. “I’ve really enjoyed playing with these guys. They put an effort out you don’t really see with a [losing] team like this.

“We’re playing for each other, no matter what the score is. That’s how we’ve been — it looks like we’re down and out and we never really are.’’

But playing for a contender? That wouldn’t be all bad, would it?

“There you go,’’ Frazier said. “ If that does happen, hopefully it is a contender. But I can’t think about that because I’m playing here in Chicago and I love playing in Chicago.

“I talk to my agent a lot but nothing is really brewing right now. It’s your livelihood and you want to know what’s going on but at the same time you have to control what you can control. I’m not [general manager] Rick [Hahn] or [chairman] Jerry [Reinsdorf] or anybody up there so I can’t speak for them. So I keep playing the game.’’

NOTES: The Sox will add to players to the 25-roster today, one to fill Jose Quintana’s place and another for the spot voided by outfielder Willy Garcia, who was sent to AAA Charlotte Monday.

*After ranking second with 95 quality starts (six innings or more with three earned runs or less allowed) in 2016, the Sox are second to last with 29. Sox starters have pitched to a 5.82 ERA over the last 45 games with only 10 quality starts during that stretch.

*The Sox have 44 home games remaining and 31 on the road, including two at Wrigley Field against the Cubs July 24 and 25.

Who won the previous 5 biggest trades in Cubs-White Sox history? Steve Greenberg / Chicago Sun-Times | July 13, 2017

There have been 14 previous Cubs-Sox trades, only five of which bear revisiting. Why? Each of these involved big names or produced a conclusive winner — or both.

Dec. 11, 1973: The Cubs traded 33-year-old Ron Santo for young starting pitcher Steve Stone, promising catching prospect Steve Swisher, reliever Ken Frailing and a player to be named later. Santo — moved from third base by manager Chuck Tanner — fizzled in his lone season with the Sox and retired at its conclusion. Stone, Swisher and even Frailing gave the Cubs some quality years. Winner: Cubs.

March 28, 1981: The teams traded former starting pitchers who’d moved into relief roles — Sox lefty (inset) for Cubs righty Dennis Lamp. The latter was far more productive on the other side of town. Lamp had a fine three-year run with the Sox; alternating between the rotation and the bullpen, he went 25-21 with a 3.45 ERA. Lamp was a key figure out of the bullpen in the 1983 ALCS against the Orioles, pitching in three games and allowing one unearned run. Winner: Sox.

Jan. 25, 1983: A whole lot happened here. The Sox — on the cusp of a division-title season — acquired infielders Scott Fletcher and Pat Tabler and pitchers Randy Martz and Dick Tidrow in exchange for pitchers Steve Trout (right) and Warren Brusstar. Tidrow was a key member of the Sox bullpen in ’83. Tabler was dealt before the season to the Indians for Jerry Dybzinski, not a strong move. But the Cubs were getting good themselves, and Trout became one of their best starters; he won 13 games in their glorious ’84 campaign and pitched into the ninth inning in a Game 2 victory over the Padres in the NLCS. Like Trout, reliever Brusstar was a major contributor for multiple seasons. Winner: Cubs.

March 30, 1992: The Cubs traded veteran slugger George Bell for reliever Ken Patterson and a thin kid with all the tools by the name of Sammy Sosa. Whatever Sosa did to keep the good times rolling, he sent 545 home runs into orbit and contributed as much as any player ever to the packed-house party atmosphere at Wrigley Field. By just about any measure, this was as lopsided as lopsided gets. Winner: Cubs.

July 29, 1998: In the midst of a push for the playoffs, the Cubs sent star pitching prospect Jon Garland (right) to the South Side for sometimes-dominant reliever Matt Karchner (left). If the deal made sense at the time, it sure didn’t pan out; Karchner made little impact with his new team aside from giving up a grand slam to the Braves’ in his only playoff appearance. Garland went on, of course, to be a mainstay of the Sox rotation for nearly a decade and had his best season in 2005, when the Sox won the World Series. Winner: Sox.

OTHER CROSSTOWN TRADES

8/4/49: Sox traded Bobby Rhawn and cash to Cubs for Johnny Ostrowski.

12/1/64: Sox traded Frank Baumann to Cubs for Jimmie Schaffer.

11/30/70: Cubs traded Pat Jacquez, Dave Lemonds and to Sox for Ossie Blanco and Jose Ortiz.

8/18/77: Sox traded Larry Anderson and cash to Cubs for Steve Renko.

8/15/81: Cubs traded Lynn McGlothlen to Sox for a player to be named later (turned out to be Bob Molinari).

12/10/82: Sox traded Reggie Patterson to Cubs for Ty Waller.

11/22/89: Cubs traded Rick Scheid to Sox for Chuck Mount.

4/30/90: Cubs traded Frank Campos to Sox for Bill Long.

11/16/06: Sox traded Neal Cotts to Cubs for Carlos Vasquez and David Aardsma.

FEAR THY NEIGHBOR?

Intramarket trades have been rare and, frankly, not all that interesting across baseball. Here are the biggest — we’re using that term loosely — outside of Chicago:

• After the 1972 season, a major deal was done that featured terrific starting pitcher Andy Messersmith going to the Dodgers and a package of five players — including future Hall of Famer , proven starting pitcher Bill Singer and 1968 first-round draft pick — going to the Angels. Messersmith had the best season of his career in ’74, when the Dodgers reached the World Series. The Angels went nowhere.

• In the spring of 1978, the Giants traded seven players and cash (because seven players are never enough) for . The star lefty was outstanding — and the Giants were good — that season, but things ended a bit shy of the postseason. The A’s, their glory days over, were in the tank.

• After the 2001 season, the Yankees and Mets made a trade — David Justice for — that sounds like a much bigger deal now than it actually was then. Ventura still had some power left and hit 36 homers in 748 at-bats with the Yankees before he was traded during the ’03 season. Justice was a Met for one week before he was dealt to the A’s.

Cubs-Sox trade smacks of instant relevance and historic significance Steve Greenberg / Chicago Sun-Times | July 13, 2017

In late November 1970, the Cubs traded a trio of minor-league prospects — pitchers Pat Jacquez and Dave Lemonds and first baseman/outfielder Roe Skidmore — to the White Sox for a pair of fringe big-leaguers, first baseman Ossie Blanco and center fielder Jose Ortiz.

But you knew that already, right?

Of course you didn’t. As trade pieces go, each of those five players fell in the forest and didn’t make a sound. What’s to remember? Really, there have been two main themes to Cubs-Sox trades through the years: rarity and — with a handful of exceptions — irrelevance.

That’s what makes Thursday’s whopper of a deal between our city’s teams not only riveting in the here-and-now, but historically significant. Not only was new Cub Jose Quintana the best starting pitcher the Sox had, but — the real kicker — his club-friendly contract should keep him on the North Side through 2020. In return, the Sox got outfielder Eloy Jimenez and fireballing right-hander Dylan Cease — the Cubs’ Nos. 1 and 2 prospects, respectively — along with two other minor- leaguers.

Irrelevant? There’s hardly a chance of that. This deal plays perfectly into each side’s plans: for the Cubs, to chase championships while their window is wide open; and for the Sox, to be the most well-stocked up-and-comer in baseball.

“I’m proud of both organizations for prioritizing the baseball components of the deal and making this happen,” Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said.

That they did was truly a surprise. For many reasons — none bigger than the in-your-face shame of emerging as the loser in a trade — any executive who shares a market with another major-league team would prefer to deal out-of-market.

“Frankly,” Epstein said, “I thought the chances of a deal between the two clubs of this magnitude were slim at best — really a long shot.”

When Sox ace Chris Sale was on the market last offseason, the Cubs were plenty interested . . . until Sox general manager Rick Hahn spoke two words: “Kris” and “Bryant.” Translation: total non-starter.

That would have been the mother of all Cubs-Sox trades, but the one that just happened could go down as the biggest ever between the teams. For the time being, both sides feel like winners.

White Sox had no qualms about trading Quintana to Cubs Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times | July 13, 2017

The White Sox’ trade of Jose Quintana to the Cubs for prospects made perfect sense for both sides.

Still, few saw it coming, even though it was apparent that the rebuilding Sox were in ramped-up trade discussions with a number of teams for their All-Star left-hander in recent days. The Sox announced the stunning deal on before the news was reported or even hinted at in the media.

Why the surprise? Blame the perceived unwillingness of the Sox to deal with the Cubs — a notion that Sox general manager Rick Hahn slammed by trading Quintana for the Cubs’ top two prospects, outfielder Eloy Jimenez and right- hander Dylan Cease, plus two others — first baseman Matt Rose and infielder Bryant Flete — on Thursday morning.

“This notion that we wouldn’t do business with them because they’re in town — or somehow we would actually take an inferior baseball deal for non-baseball reasons because of emotion or a rivalry or something totally unrelated to putting the best possible team on the field for the next several years — is laughable,” Hahn said.

It’s known that many in the upper offices at 35th and Shields share the same competitive dislike for the Cubs that Sox fans do, and the Sox and Cubs hadn’t made a trade since 2006. But Hahn said he, vice president Ken Williams and chairman Jerry Reinsdorf wouldn’t let that get in the way of a good deal.

“That’s not how Jerry is wired, Kenny is wired, I’m wired or anybody in the organization,” Hahn said. “If we really felt motivated to take an inferior baseball deal, to not put this organization in the best possible spot to win multiple championships simply because of emotion, then we would be the wrong people running this club.”

Based on favorable fan reaction to the Quintana trade, Hahn and Co. are the right people, although time will tell how this latest star-for-prospects deal pans out. Hahn said discussions picked up Sunday when he and Cubs president Theo Epstein exchanged texts. The two then talked face-to-face during the All-Star break in Miami this week, ducking behind a Rawlings exhibit to avoid being seen. The trade, which seems to benefit both the contending Cubs and rebuilding Sox, was finalized Wednesday night. Jimenez, with “the potential to grow into a potent offensive force,” was the key to the deal, Hahn said.

“There’s nothing for us to talk about with the Cubs without Jimenez being part of it,” he said. “We view him as one of the most exciting prospects in the game today. Potential middle-of-the-order impact bat, plus bat speed, feel for the barrel, uses the whole field and has the tools to be a plus defender on the corner.”

The Sox had coveted Cease, who has an electric mid- to upper-90s arm and has touched 100 mph, when the Cubs picked him in 2014.

With Jimenez at No. 8 and Cease at No. 63, the Sox now have nine of MLB.com’s top 100 prospects, tied for the most in the majors. The others are second baseman Yoan Moncada (1); right-hander Michael Kopech (11); outfielder Luis Robert (23); right-handers Lucas Giolito (28), Reynaldo Lopez (36) and Carson Fulmer (59); and catcher Zack Collins (68).

“This package of prospects we received today not only was far and away the best offer, the best possibility, that we’ve discussed with any club since we’ve started this process roughly a year ago or so, but it’s one that allows us to continue to add to the prospect base that we’ve accumulated in a potentially high-impact way,” Hahn said.

The Sox, many prospect experts are saying, now have the top farm system in baseball, a far cry from one that was rated in the bottom third before Chris Sale and Adam Eaton were traded last December to start the rebuild. Quintana, a team and organization favorite, follows them out the door.

“The Cubs are getting not only a great pitcher, who we expect will thrive for them, but also a tremendous clubhouse presence and a great person,” Hahn said.

Quintana deal huge for Cubs, White Sox Barry Rozner / Daily Herald | July 13, 2017

It was all so very professional.

That's what jumps out about the way the Cubs and White Sox handled their business this week.

In concluding the biggest deal between the two teams since the Cubs sent George Bell to the Sox for Sammy Sosa in 1992, both sides were extremely aggressive in getting it done over the span of about 48 hours beginning Sunday when Rick Hahn contacted Theo Epstein.

The Cubs needed a shock to the system for a stunningly lifeless clubhouse and needed controllable starting pitching with Jake Arrieta and scheduled to be free agents after this season.

Jose Quintana accomplishes both for the Cubs immediately.

The Sox, meanwhile, needed more elite prospects as they continue in the early stages of a rebuild in which they'll have to collect as many young players as possible, knowing they won't all become stars, and some will fizzle entirely.

Hahn identified Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease as two more superb young talents that go into a Sox system that continues its climb toward the top of the MLB rankings, where Baseball America's John Manuel says the Sox now move up to the top three with Atlanta and San Diego.

It's just hard to remember a time when both Chicago baseball teams were so certain of what they needed to do and so certain that it needed to be done now.

It was so professionally aggressive -- and satisfying.

It seems no matter how many times Hahn said nothing -- and no single person -- prevented them from dealing with the Cubs, no one wanted to believe him.

Then again, if it gives critics a chance to take gratuitous shots at Jerry Reinsdorf, that's to be expected, even with Hahn and Epstein disputing that notion each time they were asked in the past eight months.

While a deal was unlikely given the stakes, it was never impossible. And in the end, it was the White Sox approaching the Cubs with a trade proposal Sunday night that got the conversation started.

So much for that narrative.

"(Reinsdorf) absolutely got it and was on board with it," Hahn said. "This notion that we wouldn't do business with the Cubs -- that we would take an inferior baseball deal for reasons totally unrelated to putting the best possible deal on the table -- is laughable.

"It's not how Jerry is wired, not how I'm wired and not how Kenny (Williams) is wired.

"If people really felt we would take inferior talent simply because of emotion, we would be the wrong people running the club."

There was also a belief that Hahn had missed the boat, that he should have moved Quintana in December and had therefore failed to capitalize on the left-hander's value after the Sox had traded Chris Sale and Adam Eaton.

"This deal trumps anything we discussed last off-season," Hahn said. "This was the best package offered to us.

"There was very strong interest. We still had clubs calling us even though we were exchanging medicals (with the Cubs), including some teams not in (postseason) contention."

It's a great deal for both teams, with the Sox getting the No. 5 prospect in baseball in Jimenez and the 39th-ranked pitcher in Cease, and the Cubs making a trade that helps them both today and for the next three years at a low salary.

"It was just about a perfect fit for us," Epstein said. "Jose is just the kind of pitcher we've been trying to acquire for a long time, an elite controllable starting pitcher.

"We love what it has a chance to do for this year's team, but the reality is this is a deal we were looking at for the long haul."

Epstein would not have moved such valuable chips for a rental, as he did a year ago with Gleyber Torres for Aroldis Chapman, because their 2017 season looks nothing like 2016.

But their starting pitching has been so bad in 2017 that perhaps a few quality starts from Quintana will kick start the second half as they try to chase down the upstart Brewers in the Central Division.

Nevertheless, what Epstein said recently about the Cubs needing to get it done from within hasn't changed.

The Cubs have so many great players having mediocre -- or worse -- seasons, and if that doesn't change, neither will their place behind the Brewers in the standings.

"We had a bad first half and we have to own that," Epstein said. "But let's take a step back and remind ourselves of what we have and where we are.

"We have great position player talent that's already demonstrated it can win a World Series. We're in the early stages of a long run with this group of guys."

As for making another move, the Cubs will have to give Epstein a reason over the next two weeks to do something else about 2017.

"This still gives us a chance to step back and survey the rest of the market," Epstein said. "A lot will depend on how we play and where we are in the standings and how realistic it is that we'll make a serious run.

"But the primary factor is what it does for our four-year plus window."

So it's a great baseball trade that benefits both clubs considerably, two aggressive execs in the same town doing what's right for their teams.

What a terrific day for Chicago baseball.

White Sox GM: Cubs trade offer was clearly the best Scot Gregor / Daily Herald | July 13, 2017

In early May, general manager Rick Hahn was quite clear when asked about his alleged disinterest in trading with the crosstown .

"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."

Scouting report

White Sox vs. Mariners at Guaranteed Rate Field

TV: Comcast SportsNet Plus Friday; WGN Saturday; Comcast SportsNet Sunday

Radio: WLS 890-AM

Pitching matchups: The Sox's (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 , 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: at Guaranteed Rate Field, Tuesday-Wednesday

-- Scot Gregor

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."

White Sox trade Jose Quintana to Cubs for four prospects Dan Gartland / Fox Sports | July 13th, 2017

The White Sox have traded pitcher Jose Quintana to the Cubs in exchange for four minor leaguers, including the Cubs’ two top prospects, the White Sox announced Thursday.

The White Sox acquire power-hitting outfielder Eloy Jimenez, pitcher Dylan Cease, first baseman Matt Rose and middle infielder Bryant Flete.

Quintana, 28, is under contract for the next three seasons at an average of just over $10 million per year. He had spent his entire six-year MLB career with the White Sox, developing in the team’s top pitcher behind Chris Sale. When Sale was traded to the Red Sox last winter, Quintana quickly became a trade target himself.

White Sox GM Rick Hahn said Thusday he negotiated with Theo Epstein during All-Star festivities in semi-secrecy.

In 18 starts this season, Quintana has a 4.49 ERA and 1.323 WHIP, worse than his career averages. He is, however, averaging a career-high 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings.

The Cubs were looking to bolster their rotation after Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta have failed to recapture last year’s form. John Lackey, Kyle Hendricks and Brett Anderson are all on the disabled list, as well. The defending world champs are currently 5 1/2 games behind the Brewers for first place in the National League Central.

Jimenez and Cease are No. 1 and No. 2 on MLB.com’s list of Cubs prospects. Rose and Flete are not among the top 30.

Jimenez, a 20-year-old corner outfielder, is ranked as the No. 8 prospect in all of baseball by MLB.com and No. 5 by Baseball America. He broke a stadium floodlight with a during Carolina League all-star festivities.

Cease, 21, is a 21-year-old with a in the mid- to upper-90s. He is averaging 12.9 strikeouts per nine in 13 starts for Class A South Bend this year.

White Sox, Cubs cold war is over with Jose Quintana trade Bob Nightengale / USA TODAY |July 13, 2017

The Chicago Cubs and White Sox, two bitter rivals who have never cared for one another in the city they share, relishes in one another’s demise, suddenly became best of friends.

The White Sox stepped up Wednesday and made it possible for the Cubs to win back-to-back World Series titles, and the Cubs accelerated the White Sox’s rebuilding efforts to make them king of the city in a few years.

Strange times.

Cubs acquire Jose Quintana from White Sox in blockbuster 5-player trade NL second half preview: Can the Cubs rebound?

The Cubs, baseball’s biggest underachievers the first half, 43-45, acquired ace Jose Quintana from the White Sox for four prospects that including prized outfielder Eloy Jimenez and pitcher Dylan Cease. They also received infielders Matt Rose and Bryant Flete.

It was the first trade between the two clubs since November, 2006, when the Cubs acquired Neal Cotts from the White Sox for David Aardsma and Carlos Vasquez.

It was their biggest deal involving an All-Star since 1992 when the White Sox traded Sammy Sosa and Ken Patterson to the Cubs for George Bell.

You see, at this juncture in the future of the franchises, it made no sense to let rivalries or emotions stop them from making the best trade for both teams, with White Sox GM Rick Hahn calling it “laughable’’ for folks to believe it would be a deterrent.

“If we really, felt motivated to take an inferior baseball deal, to not put this organization in the best possible spot to win multiple championships because of emotion,’’ Hahn said, “then we would be the wrong people running the club.’’

The White Sox are trying to rebuild, and field a championship team by 2019.

The Cubs are trying to win right now, going 43-45 with a starting staff that yielded a 4.66 ERA, ranking 26th in WAR.

The Cubs, who needed a jolt from their first-half doldrums, certainly had to do something. Cubs president Theo Epstein, who could barely stand to watch his team’s performance the first half, was on the warpath to find a young, controllable pitcher. He wanted someone to not only help them down this year’s pennant stretch, but also the next few seasons.

They recently tried to pry All-Star Michael Fulmer away from the , but the Tigers had no interest, unless they Cubs were willing to trade infielders Javy Baez and Ian Happ.

Once that trade was dead on arrival, the Cubs and White Sox became engaged in talks on Sunday, with a deal done within 48 hours.

This could turn out to be the sexiest trade anyone makes at the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, leaving both teams ecstatic.

The Cubs struck gold with Quintana, who’s under contract through 2020, earning just $8.4 million in 2018, with $10.5 million options in 2019 and 2020. It’s a steal for a pitcher who has pitched at least 200 innings in three of the last four seasons, and has gone 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA in his last seven starts.

He’s not only needed now, but for the future, with Jake Arrieta and John Lackey expected to depart as free agents.

“Frankly, it’s incredibly difficult to trade a player like Quintana,’’ White Sox GM Rick Hahn says, “more so the type of person he is, and what he means to the organization.

“The Cubs are not only getting a great pitcher, but a tremendous clubhouse presence and a great person. It’s not easy to let somebody like that walk out the door.’’

This trade enables the Cubs to keep their young nucleus intact by trading only prospects, and adds to the White Sox’s collection, giving them nine of the top 100 prospects in baseball, according to MLB.com. Jimenez, ranked as the eighth- best prospect in baseball by MLB.com, and Cease was ranked 63rd.

“We feel this package of prospects not only was far and away the best offer and opportunity talked with any club,’’ Hahn says, “but one that allows us to continue to add to the prospect base that we have accumulated. We are closer to achieving our long term goals.’’

The White Sox, Hahn said, simply were not going to make any trade with the Cubs unless it started with Jimenez and Cease.

“We view (Jimenez) as one of the most exciting prospects in the game,’’ Hahn said. “It’s not every day you get to acquire a potential talent like this. And Dylan Cease has got the potential to be a front-end starter with tremendous makeup.’’

The trade came together quickly between the Cubs, with the , , and all involved. The White Sox thought they were on the verge of a deal last week, in fact, and nearly pulled Quintana from his start. Yet, when they couldn’t finish it off, Hahn kept Quintana in the rotation, and went back to the phones.

He called Epstein on Sunday morning, telling him they were close to a deal with another team, and seeing if he had interest. The deal would have to include Jimenez and Cease. Epstein called back the next morning, catching Hahn at the All-Star FanFest with his son, and leaving Hahn hiding behind a display to avoid anyone hearing their trade talks.

The deal was done Tuesday, with the medical records being exchanged throughout the day, and announced Wednesday.

“There was strong interest from clubs right through the medicals,’’ Hahn said. “The call to Jose this morning was one of the most difficult I ever made. There was no part I enjoyed.’’

Just like that, the Cubs let the baseball world know they are here to stay.

The White Sox let everyone know they’re coming.

And the two franchises are proud to announce the cold war is over.

The wall has crumbled down.

Cubs acquire Jose Quintana from White Sox in blockbuster 5-player trade Bob Nightengale / USA TODAY July 13, 2017

The Chicago Cubs, refusing to sit back and savor last year’s World Series championship, opened the second half by jump-starting the trade deadline Thursday with a deal that stunned the baseball industry.

The Cubs acquired ace Jose Quintana from their rival Chicago White Sox for four prospects, including prized outfielder Eloy Jimenez and emerging right-hander Dylan Cease. They also received infielders Matt Rose and Bryant Flete.

The Cubs, who needed a jolt from their first-half doldrums, got the pitcher they needed to not only give them a chance to catch the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central, but afford them a shot to defend their World Series title.

It may turn out to be the boldest move any team makes before the July 31 non-waivers trade deadline, executed by the gutsiest executive in the game to pull it off.

White Sox, Cubs cold war is over with Jose Quintana trade

Cubs president Theo Epstein was determined to find a young, controllable pitcher, who can not only help them down this pennant stretch, but also the next few years. They recently tried to pry All-Star Michael Fulmer away from the Detroit Tigers, but the Tigers had no interest, unless they perhaps were willing to trade infielders Javy Baez and Ian Happ.

The cost was steep for the Cubs, however, in a rare deal between the two Chicago franchises.

Jimenez, 20, was among the last of the Cubs' blue-chip prospects and although he lacked dominant power or speed to pair with his excellent hitting ability, he was ranked No. 5 in Baseball America's midseason top 100 rankings. Jimenez, who participated in the Futures Game on Sunday in Miami, produced an .841 OPS at high-Class A Myrtle Beach (S.C.) in the first half and is a lifetime .293 batter despite consistently being several years younger than the competition in his league.

The bigger prize for the White Sox might be Cease. The right-hander, 21, has a career rate of 12.3 per nine innings in the minor leagues, and has struck out 74 in 51 innings this season at Class A South Bend (Ind.). He ranked 83rd on Baseball America's updated top 100.

This trade enables the Cubs to keep their young nucleus intact by trading only prospects, and adds to the White Sox’s collection that gives them nine of the top 100 prospects in baseball, according to MLB.com. Cease is yet another power arm who consistently hits the upper 90-mph mark, and he joins a stable of prospects such as Michael Kopech and Lucas Giolito who give the White Sox a decent chance to develop a dominant rotation.

The Cubs, who badly were looking for a controllable pitcher with Jake Arrieta and John Lackey eligible for free agency in a season, struck gold with Quintana, 28. He has a career 50-54 record and 3.51 ERA, but has been yielding a 2.70 ERA since the end of May.

Perhaps of greater import, Quintana will make just $8.85 million in 2018, with reasonable club options of $10.5 million and $11.5 million for 2019-2020.

Rick Hahn Hits Again With Latest White Sox Blockbuster Chris Emma / CBS Chicago | July 13, 2017

Somewhere amid the chaos of the Miami Convention Center, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn went hiding.

It was Tuesday at the All-Star Game festivities as Hahn walked alongside his son, Charlie, when his cell phone rang. It was Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and the offer for which Hahn had been holding out hope.

Hahn found an All-Star Game exhibit and removed himself from the public eye. He even hid himself from Charlie, who was an 11-year-old White Sox fan distressed by the Cubs winning the World Series. This phone call was pretty important. It could be instrumental for both Chicago organizations.

“I essentially had to ditch my child at the Miami Convention Center,” Hahn joked Thursday on 670 The Score.

Charlie should be OK with this deal, despite its ramifications for the Cubs’ chances in 2017. The White Sox dealt top-end starting pitcher Jose Quintana and his team-friendly deal in exchange for elite outfield prospect Eloy Jimenez, pitching prospect Dylan Cease and two others.

Epstein had called Tuesday — two days after initial discussions — saying he would be willing to part with Jimenez, ranked as the No. 8 prospect according to MLB.com, and Cease, the No. 63 prospect. Hahn essentially had a pick of two other lower-level prospects to complete the deal.

Both teams won with this deal. The Cubs acquired a 28-year-old Quintana who has had steady career production and a terrific contract that runs through 2020. They’re positioned to contend in 2017 and the next seasons to come, bolstered by using organizational depth to add a solid southpaw.

As for the White Sox, Thursday was the latest great day for an organization heading in the right direction. Hahn held out for the best offer on Quintana and struck with another of baseball’s best prospects.

Jimenez has light-tower power already and is still growing into his 6-foot-4 frame. At 20, he’s making a strong impression in high-A ball and has risen up the rankings as a result. There’s a thought that he could immediately become the top White Sox prospect.

Cease is 21, has an electric arm and is beginning to find his form in low-A ball after past injury concerns. He has posted a 2.79 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings in 13 starts three seasons removed from Tommy John surgery.

It was a year ago that Hahn declared the White Sox were “mired in mediocrity” after their plans to contend in 2016 drastically diminished. He then put words to action this past December with two major trades that began an overhaul of the organization.

It was then that the White Sox turned Chris Sale and Adam Eaton into Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Dane Dunning. They’ve also signed 19-year-old Cuban outfielder Luis Robert and drafted slugging third baseman Jake Burger out of Missouri State.

The White Sox went from one of the worst farm systems in baseball to arguably the best. They now have nine top-100 prospects in the system, according to MLB.com rankings.

No. 1: Yoan Moncada, infielder No. 8: Eloy Jimenez, outfielder No. 11: Michael Kopech, pitcher No. 23: Luis Robert, outfielder No. 28: Lucas Giolito, pitcher No. 36: Reynaldo Lopez, pitcher No. 59: Carson Fulmer, pitcher No. 63: Dylan Cease, pitcher No. 68: Zack Collins, catcher

That list doesn’t include other young pitching prospects with potential such as Spencer Adams, Zack Burdi and Alec Hansen. And there are players who could surprise, like with any other organization.

Some of the top White Sox prospects are nearly ready for the majors, with Moncada, Giolito, Lopez and Fulmer all likely to come up to the big leagues later this season. Jimenez, Robert, Cease and Collins are among those still developing at the lower levels.

There’s always major risk building with young prospects, but the White Sox have five of the top pitching prospects in baseball and have others exceeding expectations in the minors. Even if only half of their arms pan out, they have the foundation for a premier rotation for years to come.

In the last year-plus, the White Sox have also added long-awaited and important bats to the mix, with Moncada, Jimenez, Robert, Collins and Burger forming what should be a talented young lineup. Their loaded farm system includes both impressive arms and talented position players.

Ideally, the window for contention opens in 2019 as these prospects emerge at the big league level. The White Sox can hope to have a rotation of burgeoning talent and a lineup stacked with versatility.

Thursday brought the latest victory for the White Sox organization, one with grand promise for the future.

Hahn won’t have anything to hide from if his vision comes to fruition.

Cubs-White Sox Blockbuster Trade A Winner For Both Teams Bruce Levine / CBS Chicago | July 13, 2017

CHICAGO (CBS) — The Cubs and White Sox were both winners in their blockbuster trade Thursday.

That’s the way fans of both teams should view the Cubs’ acquisition of left-hander Jose Quintana in exchange for sending four prospects to the White Sox. A leap of faith by both organizations brought about this significant deal that could help one team win another World Series now and the other to do in the not-too-distant future.

In the 28-year-old Quintana, the Cubs have added what they wanted for this season’s push toward the playoffs and beyond. Quintana is under club control through 2020, owed about $31 million from 2018 through 2020. His presence should be a big steadying force for a rotation that has regressed mightily from 2016 and one that has struggled all season to replace right-hander Jason Hammel, who left in free agency last offseason after winning 15 games. The Cubs’ No. 5 starters this season — Brett Anderson, Eddie Butler and Mike Montgomery — have gone a combined 7-11 and struggled to go deep in games.

Quintana has been remarkably durable, never missing a start since joining the White Sox rotation in the first half of the 2012 season. He’s 4-8 with a 4.49 ERA and 1.32 WHIP this season, but he’s been much better lately after struggling early. Quintana has a 2.70 ERA in his last six starts, and he boasts a lifetime 3.51 ERA. That latter number only figures to improve in moving to the more pitcher-friendly National League.

Sitting at 43-45 and 5.5 games back of the NL Central-leading Brewers, the Cubs are now in a much better position to rebound in the second half. In addition to the obvious upgrade with Quintana, right-hander Kyle Hendricks is expected back soon after missing more than a month with a strained ligament in his pitching hand. The addition of Quintana could also have a trickle-down effect and fortify the team’s bullpen as well. While there’s still much to be discussed, the Cubs could move Montgomery back to the bullpen, where he’s flourish since they acquired him a year ago. He adds another reliable, sharp element to a bullpen that already has the fourth-best ERA in baseball.

Quintana appealed to the Cubs for reasons far beyond 2017. They have potentially four postseasons with him, and his team-friendly contract is half of the money annually that comparable pitchers go for on the open market. That’s important are the Cubs ready for right-hander Jake Arrieta and right-hander John Lackey to leave in free agency after this season.

Quintana is well regarded for his personality and work ethic as well.

“We are excited to add a high-caliber person and pitcher to our clubhouse,” president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said Thursday. “When I talked to Jose this morning, he said he was excited to stay in Chicago.”

The White Sox are in a much different situation than the Cubs, which is what fueled the trade. White Sox brass came to the conclusion last summer that selling veteran players — specifically those in their prime like Quintana and Chris Sale — was the best path to obtain the young players needed for a rebuild and to reposition their team for contention in three or four years. With the trade of Quintana and Sale and Adam Eaton last December, the White Sox rebuilding process is moving along more quickly than many thought. They White Sox have netted 11 prospects in return in those deals, five of which are rated among MLB.com’s 70 best.

In 20-year-old outfielder Eloy Jimenez and 21-year-old right-hander Dylan Cease, the White Sox have added the two top players in the Cubs’ farm system. White Sox general manager Rick Hahn made it clear to Epstein that both would have to be included in any trade if the Cubs wanted Quintana.

Jimenez is ranked as the No. 5 prospect in the game by Baseball America. He’s hitting .271 with eight homers, 32 RBIs and 23 runs in 42 games at Class-A Myrtle Beach this season. He was the Midwest League’s Most Valuable Player in 2016.

Along with fellow prospects Luis Robert, Yoan Moncada and Zack Collins, Jimenez is viewed as a foundation piece of the White Sox’s offense and a future heart-of-the-order bat. Jimenez has big power potential and will be a corner outfielder.

The Cubs selected Cease in the sixth round of the draft in 2014. He’s had injury hurdles to clear in the past, including elbow ligament replacement surgery. This season appears to have been a breakthrough for him, as Cease has a 2.79 ERA in 51 2/3 innings at Class-A South Bend.

“We will miss Dylan and his potential,” Epstein said. “Certainly, he is getting closer, pitching so well in high-A ball. He certainly has a big ceiling on him. We are still very encouraged by the steps forward are minor leagues have taken.”

This blockbuster trade was a perfect combination of players for both teams. The Cubs have the boost for the win-now mode they’re in amid a championship window, and the White Sox have reaffirmed their commitment to doing the rebuilding process the right way, from the ground up through a farm system that’s been further replenished.

New Voice of the White Sox Says Law School Changed His Delivery on taking Hawk’s place, sports video games, and having cerebral palsy Whet Moser / Chicago Mag | July 13, 2017

You inked a deal with Comcast SportsNet Chicago to take over for your childhood idol, Hawk Harrelson—moving from doing home games to a full TV schedule in 2019. What drew you to sports broadcasting?

I didn’t have a lot of a choice—I wasn’t going to be a player. That would be a true feat. I grew up at the dawning of the video game era: Ken Griffey Jr. Presents , Madden, NHL ’94. You’re playing the games, and I had the instinct to narrate them. It was an unpaid internship.

Working at Homewood-Flossmoor High School’s radio station must have helped. [On my sportscast] I got to talk about whatever I wanted to talk about going on in sports that day. There’s some agency in it: Hey, I can actually do this.

You went to law school at Wake Forest. Did that influence your announcing style?

I think that’s why my cadence has slowed down. When I was doing trial practice, I realized that if I’m going to rush, I’m probably going to err, and if I use the wrong word about my client in a courtroom, I’m putting something on the record that the opposing party can use against me. If you rush, you’re not giving yourself any opportunity to stop and think.

You have cerebral palsy. Did that make it tough to move into television?

I’d be a little more stressed about it if there weren’t people who wanted to talk about it. In spring training this year, [color commentator] Steve [Stone] and I watched the on-camera [footage] that we had taped live. And he was like, “Hey, it looks like you’re looking away from the camera.” If I pick up the camera with my inside eye, the other eye just looks like it’s on vacation. But if I pick up the camera with my outside eye, then pick up Steve with my inside eye, it looks like they both have targets. I’m not for hiding a disability, but I think people will know when they’re watching games that I’m doing it in a more palatable way for them.

What’s been your most memorable moment with the White Sox?

Last April, Avisail Garcia hit a big home run, and I got emotional. Moments like that are why we love baseball. That’s when it sank in—I had my dream job.