Former South Bend Cubs MVP Eloy Jimenez was dealt to the Chicago White Sox in a five-player deal that sent the Chicago Cubs pitcher Jose Quintana. (File photo by Mike Deak)

CHICAGO – In a move that is showing the direction of both clubs on either side of town, the south side Chicago White Sox sent its ace pitcher, Jose Quintana, to the north side Chicago Cubs for four prospects early Thursday.

Quintana, 28, is 4-8 with a 4.49 ERA this season after going 13-12 with a 3.20 ERA last year. He has a career 3.51 ERA and fills an immediate and long-term need for the Cubs as they’re short on starting pitching. The Cubs rank eighth in starter’s ERA and have struggled to find consistency and health from its rotation.

Quintana is controllable by the Cubs until 2020, which forced the hands of the Cubs to deal some of its top prospects. Going to the White Sox are slugger Eloy Jimenez and top pitching prospect Dylan Cease along with infielders Matt Rose and Bryant Flete.

All four of the prospects played in South Bend, Cease on this year’s roster through Thursday and the three hitters on the 2016 roster.

Jimenez brings the most value of the prospects, currently listed as the No. 5 prospect in baseball according to ESPN’s Keith Law and was a highlight reel at the 2016 MLB Futures Game, mashing a towering homer and making a diving catch into the bullpen as part of his tremendous showing. Jimenez was also the Midwest League Player of the Year in 2016.

Jimenez, ranked No. 9 in the Baseball Prospectus MLB rankings – to which all eight ahead of him all have played at the big league level – has been hampered by injuries this season. In just 42 games, he has a slashline of .271/.351/.841 with eight homers and 32 RBIs. He hit .321 with 81 RBIs last season with South Bend.

Cease has showcased serious talent while with South Bend this season. Cease has started 13 games and is just 1-2 with 26 walks in 51.2 innings, but has 74 strikeouts with a 2.79 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. Baseball Prospectus has Cease ranked the No. 3 pitcher in the Cubs system and No. 7 prospect overall.

Rose is hitting .227 with 14 homers and 38 RBIs at Myrtle Beach, Chicago’s High A affiliate. Flete is hitting .305 with six homers and 37 RBIs also with Myrtle Beach, his average seventh-best in the Carolina League. Both were major contributors in South Bend last season before being promoted in the offseason.

After dominating the National League last season on the way to a World Series title, the Cubs enter the second half this season at 43-45 and 5.5 games behind Milwaukee in the Central Division.

The White Sox are in last in the AL Central (38-49, 9 GB) but have now made a series of trades that leave them with one of the best crop of prospects in baseball. In the offseason, Chicago traded for Washington Nationals top prospect Lucas Giolito as well as phenom Yoan Moncada from the Boston Red Sox. Once maligned for having one of the worst prospect systems in baseball, the White Sox now have a top-10 prospect at over half of their positions.