Crosstown bout highlights rare Cubs-Sox trade

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Thinking about the first of six 2019 contests played between the Cubs and White Sox, scheduled for Sunday afternoon at Sloan Park, allowed Eloy Jimenez to reminisce about his first at-bat against his former team last March.

Jimenez, currently listed by MLB Pipeline as the No. 3 prospect in all of baseball and the top White Sox prospect, homered to right-center off of then Cubs reliever Cory Mazzoni in the eighth inning to give the White Sox a 4-3 lead in a Cactus League game eventually ending deadlocked at 4. Jimenez had been sidelined by knee soreness before convincing manager Rick Renteria to let him face the Cubs, pinch-hitting for Micker Adolfo.

Almost one year later, Jimenez can’t remember the exact reason why he pushed to hit but connecting against the Cubs appeared to have an extra bonus.

“I don’t know. I just wanted to play,” Jimenez said. “It was really good. I enjoyed it. I feel if I play, I’m going to do good. When I have the chance to get that at-bat, it was amazing for me.”

Trades between Chicago’s crosstown baseball rivals aren’t exactly a yearly or even frequent occurrence. But the deal on July 13, 2017, sending Jose Quintana to the Cubs in exchange for Jimenez, right-handed pitcher Dylan Cease and two other Minor Leaguers had an immense and instant impact on both sides.

Quintana, 30, helped the Cubs reach the playoffs in the past two seasons. Jimenez, 22, and Cease, 23, should be at the center of the targeted White Sox championship window.

Cease threw a 23-pitch simulated game Saturday, but he has yet to get into a Cactus League contest. The right-hander believes he’ll be pitching on the main field in the next two or three days.

There’s nothing wrong with Cease. But with a Major League callup figuring to come at some point during the 2019 season, the White Sox are trying to manage Cease’s innings after he set a single-season high of 124 last season.

“They probably have a formula on innings and what they want to see. I want to pitch as many as I can,” Cease said. “As many as they’re going to let me go, as long as it’s feeling good, I’m happy to do it.

“It gets to the point where you are ready for competition. But I like it so far. It gives me time to work on things and get to camp.”

Lineups for Sunday’s contest won’t be posted until the morning, so Jimenez won’t officially get another taste of the rivalry until that time. He still remembers last year’s big blast, culminating with a smile and high-five for teammate Yoan Moncada, against the team who originally signed him.

“Moncada was one of the guys who said, 'I think you are going to hit a home run if you play today,'” Jimenez said. “When I did, I smiled because he believed it. I remember the first pitches were fastballs and after he tried to come in with a curve ball, I hit it on my barrel.

“This is a business. They needed a pitcher. They asked for Quintana, and I was in that trade and I feel good now about it. I understand. I played against them in the Minor Leagues, but I don’t know how it is in the big leagues yet.”