Eloy Jimenez is a millionaire without taking an at-bat in the big leagues, now that his deal with the Chicago White Sox is official, and while his contract could turn out to be one of the best team bargains in baseball history, this wouldn't happen if he weren't regarded as a prospect of staggering talent.
At every level he has played, Jimenez has been among the youngest players in his league, and he has always thrived. He and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will probably vie for the American League's Rookie of the Year Award this summer, as Ronald Acuna Jr. and Juan Soto did last year.
Some Chicago Cubs fans will fixate on the fact that Jimenez, 22, was once property of their franchise, and watching his highlights will probably be painful for years to come. But really, it shouldn't be; nor should it make them wince to see ex-Cub prospect Gleyber Torres develop into an All-Star for the New York Yankees.
One club official tells the story of a debate within the analyst group about the trade made by the Cleveland Indians in summer 2016, when they swapped two of their best prospects, outfielder Clint Frazier and pitcher Justus Sheffield, for reliever Andrew Miller. The question in the room was: Would you have surrendered that value for Miller?
Miller, of course, helped the Indians close out the AL Central and then played an integral role in advancing the Indians to within one inning -- one precious run -- of their first championship in 68 years. Injuries derailed Miller in 2017 and 2018, when the Indians got to the playoffs again with some production from the lefty.
The opinions on the matter were distinct, the factions distinct. Those whose background was in statistical analysis agreed: No, it was not a trade they would have executed for the Indians because of the value of the prospects at that time.
Those whose background was more on the field agreed: Yes, you make that trade. The ultimate goal is to win a championship, and Miller advanced the Indians to a place where that could've happened in a way that the prospects could not.
The Cubs undoubtedly had similar debates in the summers of 2016 and 2017, and though Theo Epstein never played professionally, his sentiment -- the deciding vote in the moves his team made -- was the same as many of the on-field staff probably wanted. When he traded Gleyber Torres in the deal for Aroldis Chapman, Epstein stated flatly that this was a deal made to win the World Series. The Cubs needed a closer, and though Chapman faded from exhaustion in Game 7 of the World Series, he closed out three games against the Giants in the division series and pitched in four games against the Dodgers in the NL Championship Series.
The Indians would not have reached Game 7 of the World Series without Miller. It's possible the Cubs would've gone down without Chapman.
But the Cubs prevailed, winning their first World Series in 108 years, and the next year, they had a chance to become the first team in almost two decades to win back-to-back titles. The White Sox dangled Jose Quintana in the trade market, and the Yankees and other teams pursued the lefty. At that time, the Cubs' one glaring weakness was their rotation -- and they agreed to surrender Jimenez, 20 years old and playing in Class A.
The Quintana deal hasn't paid off the way the Cubs probably hoped because he has regressed into more of a middling starter than a frontline guy. There's also value in Quintana because of his relatively modest contract -- he's making $10.5 million this year, with a club option for another $10.5 million next year -- but he hasn't pitched well.
When the Cubs made the trade, however, they were trying to win within this generational window of opportunity for success, with Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Javier Baez in what could turn out to be the best years of their respective careers.
It looks like Jimenez is going to be an excellent player; it looks like the Quintana trade won't turn out well. But as with the Indians' trade for Miller, the Houston Astros' move for Justin Verlander in 2017 or the Los Angeles Dodgers' swap for Manny Machado last summer, there is credibility in the effort to win.
News from around the major leagues
The Astros have Verlander locked up for the next three seasons, and during that time, he'll continue to carve out a Hall of Fame legacy. Where he currently ranks all time among major league pitchers:
WAR: 63.6, 45th
Strikeouts: 2,706, 23rd
Innings: 2,759, 181st
Adjusted ERA+: 126, 57th
Strikeouts per 9 IP: 8.8, 20th
• Lefty Martin Perez has generated a lot of excitement in the Minnesota Twins' camp this spring with how he is throwing: up to 97 mph, with a newly developed cutter. If Minnesota is going to run down the Indians in the AL Central, it will need more depth on its staff, and Perez could be part of that. He's one of those players who has seemingly been around forever because he was a touted prospect and broke in at a young age, but Perez is just 27 years old, coming off a season in which he had a 6.22 ERA in 22 games for Texas.
Some other players who have emerged this spring around the MLB landscape:
Royals: Kyle Zimmer has become one of baseball's best spring training stories. Zimmer was a first-round pick in 2012 but has been plagued by injuries, pitching in just 85 games the past seven years before missing all of 2018, and he has been excellent for Kansas City this spring, throwing 94-95 mph to go with a terrific curve and allowing just one run in 11⅔ innings.
Diamondbacks: Christian Walker, the first baseman whose path had been blocked by Paul Goldschmidt. Walker has had great results this spring, posting an OPS of 1.065 and ensuring that he'll be part of the first-base solution for Arizona.
Orioles: Baltimore is rebuilding, and two of its Rule 5 picks, shortstop Richie Martin and utilityman Drew Jackson, have fared well. Martin, a former first-round pick, hit .300 in Double-A in the Oakland organization last season.
Indians: Outfielder Oscar Mercado performed well before being returned to the minor league camp for now. Cleveland's challenge at the outset of the season will be to hang on until Francisco Lindor returns to the lineup, likely on April 9.
Angels: David Fletcher appears to have locked down the second-base job, following up on his respectable debut performance in 2018.
Red Sox: Third baseman Bobby Dalbec earned the attention of teammates with his size -- he's listed at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds -- and his power, and the corner infielder acquitted himself well in games. Lefty Darwinzon Hernandez will likely play a role for the 2019 Red Sox at some point, as will Jenrry Mejia, who was in Boston's minor league camp and impressed after being reinstated from a lifetime ban for PED violations.
Rays: Ji-man Choi had already won over the front office with his offense, but he has impressed in moments this spring with his defense. Cole Sulser was a secondary piece in the Rays' Jake Bauers trade with Cleveland, but he had a good spring before being reassigned to the minor league camp, giving the staff something to remember when they inevitably look for help.
Reds: Jose Iglesias, 29, signed a minor league deal with Cincinnati after four-plus years as the Tigers' shortstop, and with less than a week before the season opener, a great opportunity has presented itself. Because of Scooter Gennett's groin injury, Jose Peraza will shift to second base, and Iglesias will be the shortstop following a good spring showing.
Dodgers: They always seem to have a wealth of good arms in the minors, and this year, those will include Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin, who will help L.A. sometime this season.
Nationals: Victor Robles was going to be part of the Nationals' outfield this year no matter how he performed this spring, but he has gotten great results, posting a .456 on-base percentage with more walks (10) than strikeouts (eight).
Giants: Travis Bergen was a Rule 5 pick for the Giants last winter from the Blue Jays' organization, and at a time when San Francisco is building its next generation, he appears to be an excellent candidate to stick. He hasn't allowed a run all spring, with 11 strikeouts in 9⅔ innings.
Phillies: Nick Pivetta and Zach Eflin each had stretches of prolonged success last year before struggling, but this spring, these two starters have thrown very well, with Pivetta showing off refined stuff.
Mets: As the team made its big moves last fall, Pete Alonso seemed like a long shot to be part of the 2019 Mets, but this spring, he's hit, and hit for power, and showed improved defense. He remains in the Mets' camp down to the final days, and one of the considerations for Mickey Callaway now is to hit him second, to break up a string of left-handed hitters.
Baseball Tonight podcast
Friday: Karl Ravech on whether the enormous wave of contract extensions is another sign of management dominance; Jessica Mendoza after a day of weather forecasting with Mike Trout; Marly Rivera about the Cardinals and Paul Goldschmidt, her pick to win the World Series.
Thursday: An extended conversation with Phillies outfielder Andrew McCutchen; Josh Macri and Dave Schoenfield on Ichiro's last game in the big leagues; Sarah Langs and The Numbers Game.
Wednesday: Eduardo Perez calls in from Japan; Keith Law on the Mike Trout and Alex Bregman deals; the Mets' Michael Conforto weighs in on his strong spring, the impact of Robinson Cano and the Trout contract.
Bonus podcast: The record-setting Trout contract and the ripple effects of the deal.
Tuesday: Carlos Correa and Marcus Semien go rapid-fire; Boog Sciambi on video games in clubhouses and Scott Boras' rough winter; Sarah Langs and The Numbers Game.
Monday: Sean Doolittle goes rapid-fire; Tim Kurkjian discusses the A.J. Hinch and Angel Hernandez incident; Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on the Cardinals' spring.