Nicolas Stellini of FanGraphs explored that possibility in his newest article. Stellini suggested a bold trade in which Quintana would be moved to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Stellini writes:
The Cardinals are in great position to make a run this year. While the Cubs likely have the division sewn up, St. Louis subtracted Dexter Fowler from Chicago and added him to their squad. They’ve also added Brett Cecil to beef up their bullpen, and they’ll be rolling out most of that same strong lineup. The one suspect area is their rotation. Adam Wainwright isn’t getting any younger, and Michael Wacha‘s streak of bumps and bruises isn’t inspiring. Lance Lynn will be coming back from elbow surgery. They’ve added some depth in John Gant, and still have Luke Weaver waiting in the wings as well, but it’s depth that could be chewed through relatively quickly. The Cards are going to want to do everything they can to secure a Wild Card spot, and beefing up their rotation is one of the best ways to do it. We project them for 84 wins, and a little luck could have them on a better trajectory than that come deadline time.
He goes on to write that Quintana’s contract makes him more valuable than guys such as Sonny Gray, Ervin Santana or Jeremy Hellickson.
Quintana has been connected to the Cardinals in the past. St. Louis has the farm system to get a deal done, and as Stellini notes, the a need in the pitching rotation. As the team tries to battle the Cubs in the NL Central, a pitcher like Quintana could be the missing piece.
Last season the Cardinals finished 12th in ERA (4.08), 16th in strikeouts (1,290) and 18th in batting average against (.258). Quintana held a 3.20 ERA and a .246 batting average against. His 181 strikeouts would’ve brought the Cardinals all the way up to 3rd in the MLB.
Quintana seems like he could be a perfect fit for the Cardinals. He is cost effective and one of the most consistent pitchers in the MLB. He would form a talented 1-2 punch with Adam Wainwright. With Alex Reyes MLB ready, adding Quintana would give the Cardinals one of the deeper rotations in the NL.
As for what the White Sox could receive for Quintana, Stellini writes:
No, the Cardinals probably aren’t going to move Alex Reyes in a deal for Quintana. I’d wager, however, that Weaver would be involved, as would Dakota Hudson, one of their first-rounders from 2016, or Sandy Alcantara, who’s further away from the big leagues than Hudson but has more shine to him. The Cardinals could also presumably throw in a position player like Delvin Perez or Magneuris Sierra to sweeten the deal.
Luke Weaver is currently ranked as the 68th best prospect in baseball and the Cardinals second best prospect according to MLB Pipeline. Weaver appeared in nine games at the major league level in 2016, pitching to a 1-4 record with a 5.70 ERA and a 45/12 K/BB ratio. He performed much better in the minor leagues, holding a 15-9 record with a 1.78 ERA and a 192/35 K/BB ratio.
Weaver has a solid three pitch arsenal and has the ceiling of a top three pitcher on an MLB roster. Adding Weaver to a pitching rotation already featuring Michael Kopech and Lucas Giolito would give the South Siders one of the deepest pitching staffs in the MLB.
Hudon is currently the Cardinals 10th best prospect. He has appeared in 12 minor league games and 13.1 innings. Hudson holds a career 2-1 record with a 0.68 ERA and a 19/7 K/BB ratio.
The Cardinals prospect was one of St. Louis’ three first round picks in the 2016 MLB Draft. While he will need much more time in the minors, he has a fastball that can hit 97 and couples it with an impressive slider. He would find his way into the Sox super rotation of the future.
Alcantara is currently the Cardinals ninth best prospect. He has appeared in 47 minor league games and 243.2 innings, holding a career 10-24 record with a 3.77 ERA and a 259/98 K/BB ratio.
Alcantara is known for his fastball, as he hits 98-101 on a regular basis. He is still just 21 and needs more time in the minors. But could you imagine having to face Michael Kopech and Alcantara on back to back nights?
Perez is currently the Cardinals fifth best prospect and the 91st best prospect in baseball. Like Hudson, Perez was a first round pick in the 2016 MLB Draft. In his first professional season, he hit .294 with 19 RBIs and 12 stolen bases in 43 games.
Perez is defensive wizard and has the ability to make the flashy play. His bat needs some work, but he will hit for average and will create runs with his speed. It’s unclear where Perez will play, but the White Sox would do what they can to get him in the lineup.
Sierra is currently the Cardinals sixth best prospect. In his 341 career minor league games, Sierra has hit .299 with 10 home runs, 133 RBIs and 78 stolen bases.
Like Perez, Sierra is more of a defensive-first player. However he has solid speed and should be able to hit for average. He would be one of the White Sox corner outfielders of the future, hitting towards the top of the lineup.
The White Sox would be getting a kings ransom if they received the mix of players that Stellini suggests. Weaver would be a future ace with Hudson/Alcantara serving as great back of the rotation/bullpen pieces. Perez or Sierra would hit towards the top of the major league rotation.
The Astros/Pirates should remain the favorites to land the services of Jose Quintana, but it’s fun to think about the potential packages other teams could put together.
Stellini’s offer may be a bit steep for St. Louis, but they need to realize just how good of a pitching they’re getting in Quintana. If they feel their team is ready to compete, then perhaps they pull of a move for the White Sox ace.
The Jose Quintana saga is sure to play out for the rest of the offseason, and perhaps into the season. But if teams like the Pirates or Astros refuse to trade their top stars, surprise teams could join the picture. Perhaps one of those teams will be the St. Louis Cardinals.
Feel free to continue the conversation on Twitter: @DFappiano14
