Pittsburgh Pirates
Pirates get: Jose Quintana
White Sox get: Tyler Glasnow, Kevin Newman, Mitch Keller, Elias Diaz
According to Bilek, Rick Hahn has continuously asked for top prospect Austin Meadows in trade talks. However Pirates GM Neil Huntington has been reluctant to move the outfielder, stalling trade discussions.
Bilek reports that Huntington has been reluctant to trade first base prospect Josh Bell, along with Meadows. While Bell has shown his power potential, Bilek believes that the White Sox wouldn’t want to have Bell as the headliner in a Quintana deal.
Huntington has countered Hahn’s inclusion of Meadows with top pitching prospect Tyler Glasnow. The White Sox have already acquired multiple pitching prospects in Michael Kopech, Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez. Some fans may be concerned that the team is focused too much on pitching rather than offense.
While the White Sox have only received two offensive players (Yoan Moncada and Luis Basabe) in their Chris Sale and Adam Eaton trades, it doesn’t mean they should only target hitting prospects. The White Sox should look to add best value possible, no matter position. If Chicago is lacking something come time for their playoff push, they should be able to add it through free agency if nothing else.
Adding Glasnow to a rotation already featuring the three aforementioned names, Carlos Rodon and Carson Fulmer would give the White Sox one of the best pitching staffs in the MLB.
Glasnow is the Pirates best prospect and the eighth best prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline. He has appeared in 103 minor league games and 500 innings. Glasnow holds a career 36-19 record with a 2.03 ERA and a 645/246 K/BB ratio.
Glasnow has the potential to be a true ace in the major leagues. He is the third best pitching prospect in the minor leagues. He would give the White Sox three top ten prospects and could potentially be thee team’s “Chris Sale” of the future.
Kevin Newman is the Pirates fourth best prospect and the 42nd best prospect in baseball. In his 163 minor league games, the shortstop has hit .295 with seven home runs, 69 RBIs and 23 stolen bases.
Newman would need to change his position due to Tim Anderson, however he would likely be the team’s second baseman of the future with Moncada moving to third or the outfield. Newman would likely lead off and create runs with his speed. Having the 1-2 punch of Newman and Anderson atop the lineup followed by power hitters in Moncada and Zack Collins would give the Sox one of the more well-rounded lineups in the MLB.
Keller is currently the Pirates fifth best prospect and the 72nd best prospect in baseball. In his 39 minor league games and 177.1 innings, Keller holds a career 9-8 record with a 2.64 ERA and a 192/48 K/BB ratio.
Keller has been a rising star in the minor leagues and will likely jump in MLB Pipeline’s next rankings. He has the floor of a mid-rotation starter with potential for more. The White Sox future rotation would become crowded at this point, but Keller would absolutely hold one of the five spots.
Diaz is the Pirates ninth best prospect. He has appeared in 572 minor league games, hitting .258 with 25 homeruns, 259 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. He has also thrown out 30% of all potential base stealers.
The White Sox seem dedicated to using Zack Collins as their catcher of the future. However Diaz gives them atleast the possibility to move Collins to first. Diaz is already 25 years old, meaning he is likely ready for the MLB. While he isn’t as certain as the other three prospects, he makes for an above average fourth piece in this Quintana deal.
Bilek notes that this deal seems like the most realistic of the bunch. It’ll come down to if Hahn is willing to part with Quintana without receiving Austin Meadows. Regardless, the Pirates remain one of the favorites, and if Quintana is shipped to Pittsburgh, the White Sox will likely receive a deal in this nature.
