F This

Jim Bowden of The Athletic gave the White Sox an F in their efforts to improve the team roster before Tuesday’s trade deadline. As a general manager, Bowden makes a good sportswriter. Or not. Funny that he didn’t mention how the Cubs went out and improved themselves back in 2017, acquiring lefthander Jose Quintana from the Sox in a deal that brought Dylan Cease and Eloy Jimenez to the South Side. Quintana went 33-23 in parts of four seasons for the Cubs. That was four teams ago, by the way. And Cease? He’s 34-22 since 2019, this year being his best at 12-4 and a 1.98 ERA. Eloy is Eloy, which is to say he’s a superbly gifted hitter, when healthy. Last night in Texas, he hit a solo shot that provided the margin of victory for Cease in a 2-1 win over the Rangers. Cease is 26, Eloy 25. I wonder if the Cubs would make that same deal knowing what they do? That’s obviously a question Jim Bowden wouldn’t ask.