Jose Quintana has seemed likely to be moved for most of the offseason. He has multiple suitors and is one of the most coveted pitchers on the trade market.
Quintana has appeared in 154 games and 951 innings in his five years in the MLB, all with the White Sox. He holds a career 46-46 record with a 3.41 ERA and a 781/244 K/BB ratio. He was voted to his first All Star game in 2016.
Quintana is also on an extremely team-friendly contract. He is making just $7 million in 2017 and is under team control until 2020.
The Astros, Pirates and Yankees have been the teams most involved on Quintana. All three are in need of frontline starting pitching and have the prospects needed to get a deal done.
But while there has been continued interest, there has been no sign that a deal is close. It seems like every day there is a new rumor on Quintana, but no real answers at his potential landing spot or trade package.
Since there has been no real traction on a deal, some have suggested that the White Sox could wait until midseason to trade their star pitcher. However a new report states that the White Sox plan on moving Quintana much, much earlier.
Buster Olney of ESPN recently wrote an article discussing some of the rumors surrounding the MLB. When Olney wrote on Quintana, he had this to say:
The Chicago White Sox could wait until after the start of spring training or even into next season to trade Jose Quintana, the best available starting pitcher. But evaluators with knowledge of the Quintana discussions say the White Sox seem intent on finishing a deal before camps open. The Pittsburgh Pirates could be the frontrunners for the left-hander, whose modest salary through the 2020 season make him perfect for Pittsburgh’s budget.
Pitchers and catchers report on February 14th with the entire team reporting on February 18th. It appears as if Rick Hahn wants to have a deal done by the 18th at the latest.
If that truly is the case then fans should expect to see more and more rumors as that date hits. The White Sox have likely seen what kinds of offers they will receive for Quintana, and are decided which one best helps their franchise.
However the White Sox must make sure they aren’t trading just to trade. While they have a deadline set, they shouldn’t trade Quintana for a worse package just to hit that deadline.
The White Sox need to be able to find the best value they can for their best trade asset. Realistically, they should see a package similar to that of Chris Sale. If Hahn does not get that offer, then there is no point in trading Quintana for pennies on the dollar.
If nothing else, now that the Sox deadline has been made public, acquiring teams know that they have to get serious with their offers. If they truly want Quintana, they’re going to have to offer a prospect package that intrigues the White Sox. With a little over a month until the potential deadline, teams must decide if acquiring Quintana is the best move for their team.
Quintana is still likely to be moved. He is the best player on the trade market and is sure to see a large prospect haul. Opposing teams now know that the White Sox want to move him before Spring Training.
It all comes down to which team is going to pony up and trade for the White Sox best pitcher, Jose Quintana.
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