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?