Chicago Cubs: Who are the ‘other’ prospects included in Jose Quintana trade?

What exactly are the Chicago Cubs losing by trading Bryant Flete and Matt Rose, two of the four prospects exchanged for starting pitcher Jose Quintana?

The Chicago Cubs acquired starting pitcher Jose Quintana from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for minor leaguers Eloy Jimenez, Dylan Cease, Bryant Flete and Matt Rose. While Jimenez and Cease are top prospects, Flete and Rose are rather unknowns in the Cubs’ system.

Flete, 24, joined the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent in 2012. While he has experienced some success in the minor leagues, he has yet to play above Double-A. In 432 minor league games, he owns a career .260 batting average.

He has moved around the diamond during his six seasons after originally being signed as a shortstop. During his career, he’s played 217 games at shortstop, 177 at second, 15 at third and four in the outfield.

Flete does not compare to team’s current infielders

Unlike current Cubs middle infielders Addison Russell and Javier Báez, Flete does not hit for power. In fact, he has hit just 14 home runs during his entire minor league career. In just 232 minor league games, Russell hit 20 home runs, while Báez hit 90 in 397 games.

For the record, Flete has enjoyed a solid 2017 season to-date, hitting .305 with six home runs and 37 RBI in 70 games. Like many players before him, though, his future with the Cubs was dim, at best.

Chicago Cubs

It has been well documented how the Cubs are notorious for having a surplus of middle infielders throughout their organization. Although Flete was playing at just Single-A before the trade, it was hard to see him ever playing in the MLB with the Cubs.

The Cubs selected Rose, 22, in the 11th round of the 2015 MLB Draft from Georgia State. Now in his third year with the organization, Rose has only played as high as Advanced-A Myrtle Beach. Either way, he had no clear path to the MLB with the Cubs before this trade.

In 60 games with Myrtle Beach this season, Rose has played 58 at first base and two at third base. The Cubs, of course, have both of these positions covered with Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo.

Hard to crack Cubs’ roster

Rose’s chances at starting for the Cubs in the MLB one day were slim. He was not one of the team’s Top 30 prospects, although it would not matter if he was. Trading Jimenez shows that any prospect can get dealt (depending on the situation).

Essentially, if Jimenez was available for trade, trading a less valuable prospect like Rose should not come as a surprise. While he has plenty of time to improve, Rose’s .227 batting average in 2017 does not stand out as elite.

At the same time, Rose’s 14 home runs and 38 RBIs should not go unnoticed. He clearly has some pop in his bat; in simplest terms, though, the Cubs are losing something that they already have in the MLB: a power-hitting corner infielder.

Currently, Flete and Rose are the less significant names that the Cubs traded to the White Sox. Until they get closer to or even promoted to the MLB, though, there is no telling what exactly the Cubs gave up by trading the pair.

Next: Cubs' acquisition of Quintana a smart move

For the time being, though, the Cubs gave up two low-level minor league players for someone that can help them win now. In the end, only time will tell how impactful Flete and Rose can be as big leaguers.