The Bernstein Brief: Big Trade For Cubs, White Sox -- But Also Low Risk
By Dan Bernstein--
CBSChicago.com senior columnist
(CBS) The truth is that neither the Cubs nor the White Sox has much to lose in the Jose Quintana-Eloy Jimenez trade deemed by so many to be a "blockbuster."
That term jumps into use because the two clubs dealing at all is rare enough and a relative star is moved for two ranked prospects. I get it.
But really, neither side had much use for what it gave up. The White Sox don't need a 28-year-old starting pitcher in Quintana who makes them more likely to win during a time in which they know they're better off losing, with the remainder of his prime years on an insanely cheap contract doing nothing to get them closer to winning the World Series.
The same goes for the Cubs and their prospects. They don't need them at the moment, already having enough difficulty finding proper playing time for the young stars already here. They craved cost-controlled pitching and a steady hand every fifth day to make a run this year and in each one through 2020.
Done and done.
If Quintana is himself and Jimenez is an All-Star, there are no regrets from either side. Both teams are closer to winning a title thanks to an entirely sensible trade that was more surprising than ultimately spectacular.
Dan Bernstein is a co-host of 670 The Score's "Bernstein and Goff Show" in afternoon drive. You can follow him on Twitter @dan_bernstein and read more of his columns here.