OPINION
When the Chicago White Sox were looking to trade starting pitcher Jose Quintana, they made it clear: they weren’t going to settle. They wanted and expected to receive high-end talent. Teams like the Houston Astros came and went, offering little and making the decision to look elsewhere easy for the South Siders.
Then, in surprising fashion, the White Sox were able to strike a deal with the team they’ve been hesitant to trade with in the past — the Chicago Cubs. In this trade, the White Sox shipped Quintana over to the north side and received the Cubs’ No. 1 prospect Eloy Jimenez, No. 2 prospect Dylan Cease, and complementary pieces Matt Rose and Bryant Flete.
Months after the trade between the two Chicago teams, one thing is clear: Jimenez will be a star. After the shocking trade, Jimenez reported to the Winston-Salem Dash (Class A-Advanced), where he would begin his rise to stardom. In 110 at-bats for the Dash, Jimenez hit eight home runs and accumulated 26 RBIs with a batting average of .345 — showing both power and consistency from the right side of the batter’s box.
Given his astronomically high level of play, he was rewarded with a promotion to the Birmingham Barons (Double-A). Continuing his offensive prowess, in 68 at-bats, Jimenez launched three home runs and accumulated seven RBIs and posted a batting average of .353. Should we be surprised? No.
He has shown tremendous consistency at every level. His career batting average of .302 in the minors shows that he’s not too far from making his long-awaited debut for a team that has missed the playoffs every year since 2008. Whether it’s hitting for power or average, he does them both exceptionally well and he’s only going to get better. And that’s truly scary for any opposing team. I think he will be a star. It’s just a matter of when.
