NL Notes: José Quintana moves from South Side to North Side

With two weeks to go until the MLB trade deadline, the biggest fireworks so far have unfolded entirely within the Chicago city limits.

Jose Quintana, formerly of the White Sox, was dealt to the Cubs earlier this week in exchange for prospects. Quintana joins a Cubs rotation in dire need of help, as they have done little to help the Cubs’ potent offense. It’s an older rotation, with Lester, Lackey, and Arrieta —adding Quintana gives the pitching group some young talent. The blockbuster trade does give the Sox some help as well —a fledgling farm system now gets significantly better with highly-rated prospects. It’s your classic win-win trade.

Here’s what else is happening around the National League:

Let’s be real about something —Tim Tebow is killing the ball right now at High-A Port St. Lucie. In fact, one SB Nation reporter is convinced that Tebow is better at baseball than Michael Jordan ever was. It’s a believable concept that is certainly backed by evidence. Tebow’s batting average is better than Jordan’s was at any point, and Tebow has far more pop in his bat. However, don’t forget that Jordan played at the Double-A level, which Tebow has not reached yet. For now, however, it appears to be “Tebow > Jordan” in the baseball skills department.

The All-Star week festivities in Miami were bound to be a spectacle, and they were —if you aren’t convinced, just take a look at Bryce Harper’s cleats. The Nationals’ superstar decked himself out in cleats memorializing late Marlins hurler Jose Fernandez. Just check out the link —these cleats are truly a work of art.

The Dodgers are 62-29 and are running away with the top seed in the National League playoff picture. They’re on pace to be one of the best teams of the century, but how are they getting it done? Well, the rotation is fantastic, but this team is also downright hot at the dish. True Blue LA outlines the sheer statistics of this lineup that, from top to bottom, is getting it done night after night.

The Brewers are another day closer to clinching the NL Central (barring the Cubs actually getting it together), but Brew Crew fans can rest assured that the club isn’t waging its future by buying for October. There are some great names out there, particularly on the mound (I see you, Sonny Gray), and historically, this team has shown its ability to land big-name stars for a postseason run.