The departure of Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease in the trade for Jose Quintana had a decided impact on ranking of the Cubs’ farm system. Factoring in the graduation of Ian Happ, who sat atop every Cubs prospect leaderboard prior to 2017, led some to be concerned about the state of the farm system.
Theo Epstein isn’t among those who are worried about the system, and he even expressed optimism about their future.
“When people talk about our farm system, that’s great,” Epstein said. “I love our player development staff, I love our scouting operation, I know our commitment to young players, but the best part of our farm system right now is at the lower levels, where the talent is emerging, and at the big leagues, where they’re all wearing rings.