Although left-hander Jose Quintana was the subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason, he remains with the White Sox as the 2017 campaign approaches. However, the 28-year-old is still in high demand around the majors, according to CBS Chicago’s Bruce Levine, who writes that the Astros, Yankees, Cardinals and Pirates are “dug into” the Quintana sweepstakes. With the exception of the Cardinals, Quintana has drawn frequent connections to each of those reported suitors in recent months. The Redbirds suffered a blow earlier this month when they lost standout prospect and rotation candidate Alex Reyes for the season because of a torn UCL, but they’re reportedly unlikely to make a significant splash in response. If true, that would rule out the acquisition of Quintana.
More from the majors:
- After posting career-best numbers while mostly serving as a reliever last year, southpaw Chris Rusin is in the mix to win a spot in the Rockies’ rotation this spring, writes Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. “We are thinking about this fella as a starting pitcher,” said manager Bud Black. “We know that he’s versatile enough to go back in the bullpen, if needed, and if that’s what’s best for our staff.” The 30-year-old Rusin possesses plenty of starting experience, having worked from the rotation in 49 of 77 big league appearances with the Rockies and Cubs, but things haven’t gone well. In 260 innings, Rusin has recorded a 5.19 ERA, 5.82 K/9 and 3.08 BB/9. Those numbers pale in comparison to his production as a reliever (3.20 ERA, 7.24 K/9, 2.09 BB/9 in 64 2/3 frames).
- In an early ranking of next winter’s free agent class, ESPN’s Jim Bowden (subscription required/recommended) places Rangers ace Yu Darvish No. 1 overall and Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer tops among position players. Hosmer’s polarizing, given his pedestrian production to this stage, but Bowden cites his age (27), 25-home run showing in 2016 and clubhouse presence as reasons for listing him above the rest of the league’s soon-to-be free agent hitters.
- Mets first baseman Lucas Duda insisted Sunday that his back and hip issues aren’t serious, per Christian Red of the New York Daily News. “In a couple days, I should be ready to go,” declared Duda, who feels “great.” With Duda on the shelf Sunday, the Mets had outfielder Jay Bruce take ground balls at first base. Manager Terry Collins came away encouraged. “I liked everything I saw,” Collins said of Bruce, who has picked up only three appearances at first since debuting in 2008. “He’s got the hands, he’s got the arm angle. He made some throws in our drills that you wouldn’t expect an outfielder to be able to make. But yet he does. If that’s where we have to go, I think he’ll be fine.”
104 RBI’s too. Somebody pay the man. 10 years I say.
Really? Last year he had a .328 on base with a negative war (depending on the metric) below average defense, and meh slugging percentage. Plus, RBIs mean nothing to front offices nowadays, as they should. A 10-year deal would be a dream within a dream.
sarcasm not picked up
4 Gold Gloves in 6 years of play, at 26 years of age…. Below average defense?
Yes, without question. He has accumulated -96.5 runs below average defensively. Even if you regress that towards the mean it is certainly below average. DRS agrees, but less so (-14 runs).
Gold gloves do not show how good of a defender you are
Jeter won Gold Gloves yet was one of the most average to below average defenders ever. GGs mean nothing.
No he wasn’t. While Jeter was never one of the best defenders, he was perfectly adequate for most of his career. He was pretty bad his last couple years,and somehow that has created a myth that he was terrible his entire career.
There’s multiple starting SS’s now (and every year) that aren’t as good as Jeter was defensively.
Omg, did every not realize the first comment was sarcasm? Quit trying to metric analyze how many sheets of toilet paper a person uses and enjoy the game.
Would you prefer UZR, UZR/150, DPR, RngR, DRS, or Overall defense value to prove to you how bad of a defender Jeter was, because he’s dead last in all of them among full-time SS. His DRS and RngR are especially brutal, over twice as bad the next guy.. Jeter was a BAD defensive SS, his entire career, his got hammered for how terrible his range was from the second he made the show.
Yep. He made a lot of highlight reel diving catches but those plays would be routine grounders for other SS’s because they can get in front of the ball
Agreed that a 10 year deal is ridiculous. Hosmer has the greatest value to KC. He’s not a superstar from a stats standpoint but he is a superstar in KC as far as his involvement in the community. I’d be ok with him staying in KC but not if it means crippling the franchise for years to come by signing some crazy deal that makes no sense. How Dayton Moore handles the core of FAs we have at the end of the year will be extremely interesting. Will Moose bounce back from injury? Can Cain stay healthy? Can Mondesi replace Escobar? Pivotal year for KC.
Bruce Levine= Take it with a few grains of salt.
GM’s for the Sox, “Stros and Cards have all refuted this report in various ways over the last week.
I don’t really believe GMs when they refute reports. I believe nothing is imminent, but I don’t think trade talks have stopped, especially with the Astros. It wouldn’t surprise me if they or the Pirates ended up working out a deal for Q before spring training ends.
The Yankees have the most need for Quintana, the Cards the least, the Astros would probably be most helped (toward playoff contention/winning in the playoffs) and the Pirates are probably most likely to make a deal with the Sox.
Yankees really have no need for Quintana, they’re not serious contenders and won’t be for a few years. Unloading the talent they just acquired to bring in a good, controlable, pitcher just sets them back even further.
White Sox mist think the offers for Quintana will be better at the deadline. The need to trade him this season to maximize their return.
I can’t wait for the Astros to trade for Jose Quintana.
The Yankees need to save their assets for the Gerrit Cole trade next winter.
Just tossing this out there, I wouldn’t do this trade were I the Cards, but if they think they are more legit contenders now than they will be in a few years, what about Reyes for Quintana straight up?
The Sox get an elite pitching prospect, they just have to wait for him. The Cards get 4 years of Quintana, which is about the active service time Reyes would be able to give them post-TJ.
That doesn’t make any sense for the White Sox…
If they’ve seen him pitch, it would.
Reyes has a ceiling that Quintana will never touch.
There’s no way the White Sox would do that deal straight up – injured or not. Quintana will pull in a haul similar to Sale. I do 100% think they should trade him though. They seem to be following suit of their cross town rivals and stocking up on elite prospects which I think is extremely smart as seeing them trying to plug holes through free agency hasn’t panned out well. I like what they are doing.
So why would the White Sox do that? 4 years of Quintana, for 4 years (effectively) of Reyes makes zero sense.
A- Reyes has the potential to be much better than JQ.
B- Reyes 4 years of control occur in a time frame that fits their plan.
C- It’s the Cardinals who should hang up the phone on this trade.
I’d have agreed before Reyes got hurt. You said the key word yourself, though: potential He may be better, he may not be.. And while guys are coming back better from TJ, it’s still not a guarantee he’ll be the same pitcher or not be susceptible to injuries going forward. The best point you made is that the 4 years of control fits better with the White Sox timeframe. I don’t expect either team to want to do this trade, just saying it makes more sense now after considering Reyes’ surgery.
A – There is very little likelihood that Reyes is ever as good as Quintana.
B – Just because the 4 years they will have him is further away, it’s still only 4 years of pitching and he’s coming off major surgery.
C – This is laughable. The Cardinals would do Reyes for Quintana in a heartbeat.
No they wouldn’t and no they shouldnt.
The white sox don’t need more pitching though. They are pretty stacked at young arms. They need bats so this trade makes zero sense for the Sox.
The Cards would do their own version of the R.A. Dickey trade in a heartbeat? OK.
I’d (almost) never trade a high ceiling for a low floor.
Well technically speaking Reyes will have 5 years of control left after this year. He’ll only have accumulated 1 year and 55 days of service. He’ll still be eligible for rookie status and will be unable to reach super two status after 18.
I am a braves fan, so i am an innocent bystander but if the sox do that trade they are stupid. There is no way in hell the sox make that trade. The cardinals would jump and the sox would hang up the phone. Mr Reyes may be the best pitcher ever but he has not done it with the big boys
*At this point* more like Reyes, Weaver, and one of Wacha/Wong
Why would the Sox accept that?
99% chance that Quintana ends up being better than Reyes ever will be and he is under cheap control for 4 more seasons
Far too risky for the White Sox, especially considering the recent injury
If Reyes wasn’t injured and had half the walk rate then maybe the sox consider it. But a pitcher who’s can’t last past the 5th inning because he can’t hit the strike zone who will be coming off tommy John surgery for a TOR pitcher getting paid 1/3 of what he’s worth? Yeah the sox couldn’t hang up the phone fast enough
I’m not exactly in love with using a 22-year-old’s walk rate as an end all be all. (I can also point to him giving up 6.5 H/9 with a shitty defense behind him and call him Nolan Ryan, but I wouldn’t do that either after 46 innings.) Alex Reyes’ stuff is (pre-UCL tear) King Felix level good. His changeup is plus plus. Assuming he comes back healthy, he would be the best pitching prospect the Sox have received to this point.
I more meant that to say he has a long way to go before he reaches his ceiling. Lots of pitchers with ridiculously good stuff fell to the side because of injuries and inability to throw strikes. Remember Alex Meyer? I’m not saying he doesn’t have a super high ceiling, just that there are lots of questions about the likely hood he reaches it especially after his injury
Yeah. The sox want a guy that just hurt his arm for a guy with four years of control. Makes a lot of sense.
Yah,,,,a Quintana trade by the Cards isn’t happening lol
I don’t see the cards going after Quintana. Not their usual way. I also see them better in a couple years with potential prospects in low minors. With what sale and eaton got, I don’t see cards getting deal done without a healthy Reyes, and I would not have been a fan of trading a healthy Reyes.
As a White Sox fan, I think that would’ve been an overpay for Q. Although, now that he’s having TJ, you never know what kind of pitcher he’ll be after. Just as a baseball fan, I’m hoping he recovers fully and pitches to his potential for the next ten years.
J.D Martinez is easily the best free agent hitter next year.
Without looking at the list, JD is atleast better than Hosmer, and I’m sure theres a guy or two also better
You hit that one right on.. hadn’t realized what a weak market for FA all the way across the board it was until just looked.. it’s super weak..
Skipping option guys.. Arieta, Santanna as a DH and they didn’t do so hot this year.
Martinez, 32YO Plouffe. Ditto for Fraizer. Hosmer.
Lots of #3-4 type starters, but only Arieta as a front line type without an option, or opt out.. Chatwood, Lynn, Lackey, Cobb, Chacin.. Maybe mid starters price go up again?
Darvish, Lucroy, Cain, Moustakas, Cargo (if you believe he’s still useful), and Wade Davis if he can stay healthy/bounce back.
Cain and Davis will both need to reestablish value from injuries and yeah.. Lucroy is a good one. Wonder who will be willing to pay a 32YO catcher a ton of money next year? I see problems there, like with McCann, only LuCroy is better now than was McCann when his deal was signed of course, tho LuCroy will be looking for what? 100m over 5y??
Estrada is a top of the rotation pitcher
Cain has been hurt a lot lately and Moustakas is coming back from injury too. He needs to show that his 2015 year was not a fluke in my opinion.
A 33 year old who gives up a ton of hits, has a FIP in the low to mid 4’s, doesn’t log innings, and has had back issues is not a top of the rotation pitcher.
Omg no
Are we sure Bowden isn’t Hosmer’s agent? Hosmer over Moustakas, Lucroy, and Cain are beyond laughable. He’s not a top 20 FA
Eric Hosmer is THE overrated player of our generation.
That’s Ike Davis in my mind..
As a life-long Mets fan that saw Davis come through the ranks, I’d ask that after 2011 when was Ike Davis ever overrated? He had a few productive 30 HR seasons and then fell to injury and really was never considered anything more than a platoon/bench player after that.
Harper as of right now
I disagree. Hosmer is a fantastic first basemen. Excellent defensive player and a plus base runner for the position. So what he doesn’t hit 30+ HR’s every season? He’ll bat .275 and drive in 80+ runs every year and work a tough AB every time out. Does that warrant a 10 year deal like Boras wants? Not a chance, but he’d be a welcome addition to any team in the league.
Hosmer has accrued the lowest overall defensive value by a first baseman since he came into the league, by a wide margin. Offensively he just can’t stack back-to-back productive seasons together.
If this off season has proven anything, it is the plummeting value in homeruns. I don’t think one year of a 25 homerun showing is going to do much, if anything, for Hosmer.
Totally agree with you. Just look at what happened to the group of first basemen/power hitters this year? Carter tied for the NL home run title and got let go because the Brewers didn’t want to pay him $8m. I could see KC give him 6/$80M.
I don’t understand Bowdin’s logic of a long-term Hosmer deal. We’ve just gone through a post-season where HR’s were really cheap, so paying for 25HR guy is if he were scarce doesn’t make much sense. And good clubhouse guys are terrific, but that doesn’t mean that any team, much less a small-market one, would just add in an extra few million a year for him. I don’t know what to make of fielding stats, but if you half-believe them, there’s cause for concern–he’s not going to get more agile. Maybe Hosmer is one of those players who advanced stats don’t capture his full value, but even .277/.335/.428 just does not knock my socks off for a 1st baseman.
Hosmer isn’t even the best free agent position player on his own team.
He’s not even the SECOND best free agent on his own team. Lol
Jose Quintana is a fine pitcher and a lovely gentleman, no doubt. But the sales pitch for him and why a team should empty their farm system…
“He’s so consistently good it’s the same as being great!!!” and “200 innings EVERY SINGLE YEAR!!!”
…reminds me a lot of the sales pitch for Jame Shields before he signed with the Padres.
I just don’t see a team biting at these Chris Sale sale prices.
You’ve conveniently left out the 5 year age difference from FA James Shields and current Jose Quintana. James Shields from 28-31 (the control years over quintana) was worth 14.7 fwar.
I agree that he isn’t likely to get a chris sale like package in return, I also don’t think the WS are asking for that.
They’re not asking for a Sale-like package, but sometimes it feels close. There is the one more year of control than Sale has, which is not insignificant, but the packages revolving around Martes from Houston or one of Glasnow / Meadows from Pittsburgh aren’t too far off, especially since those deals all required multiple other prospects. I think the teams are eventually going to meet in the middle and Houston probably gets the deal done because they’re closer to actually contending than Pittsburgh is.
The White Sox actually want MORE for Quintana than Sale. I am very close with an Astros front office member and he said the Sox aren’t backing down from a Sale like return. They got more than enough for Adam Eaton so they think they should get the world for Quintana. He also claimed the Sox are not budging and the Astros wont cave and trade Martes or Tucker.
If that’s true and they wont part with Martes OR Tucker, Q will not be pitching in Houston.
It’s like that Eaton deal put them into ask for stratosphere mode if they are seeking Sale like return. eaton really isn’t some kind of superstar player, that can be see by looking at his numbers, blowing away all those fancy analytical numbers all these ppl like to swear by now and just because he hustles all the time and is good with the glove didn’t make him worth fairly close to what Boston gave up for one of the top 5 starting pitcher’s in the game who has 3y of team control really affordable.
Hahn hit the jackpot and is going for it again.. Might as well try before pulling the trigger. he’s got 4y to do it.
Exactly. They keep pitching this notion that a great contract turns a good player into a great player and that’s simply not true.
4 years of cheap control for a pitcher in his prime should command a massive return
If the Astros are messing around and not willing to part with both Martes and Tucker then there is no chance a deal ever happens
Tucker or Martes? Do you mean Tucker and Martes? Because no way a deal gets done without one of them. Both sides know that
Well according to this guy, they dont want to part with either one. But if they had to, they would trade Tucker over Martes. They’re too high on Martes. Willing to part with Whitley, AJ Reed, really anybody except those two. Either way its not going to happen. He said they’ve pretty much moved on.
Them asking for a Sale like haul makes total sense to me and the White Sox have all the leverage. If they don’t get what they want hold onto him. Someone will be desperate enough at the trade deadline I feel.
Ok. You’re a Pirates fan who agrees that the Nats overpaid wildly for Eaton and a great contract doesn’t matter as much as fans here seem to think. I’m a Rays fan here. The Rays will send Jose Deleon and Casey Gillespie and the Pirates will send back good, but not great Starling Marte. Deal?
Ding ding ding…. We have a winner!
For a top 3 pitcher, BoSox won that deal indefinitely. Chris Sale was the only reason Sox fans had to come out & watch team last 2 years and I did watch Ventura & Robertson blow several of Sale’s great performances Ventura didn’t have the sac to let Chris pitch the 9th. Mookie for Sale is an even trade. Dombrowski did great to hold onto Benintendi & Bogaerts. Hahn should of hung up when he realized he wasn’t getting any of those 3. That was a haul for Eaton thanks Rizzo but Sale trade not a haul for my ChiSox. They better get a haul back for Q.
Whether they won the Sale trade remains to be seen. Moncada and Kopech have very high ceilings. I would’ve preferred Benintendi over Moncada, but I don’t think the White Sox got screwed on the deal.
I totally agree with you about Ventura pulling Sale and other starters when the Sox had a lead and wound up losing. But I like the Boston deal. Kopech and Moncada are very good prospects, and I also like Luis Basabe. He is a very young switch hitting speedster who can play CF. Big potential with this guy if he can learn the strike zone. My favorite trade partner for Quintana is Houston and maybe Pittsburgh. If no go that’s fine-and we will keep Q.
I take it you use strikeouts and wins to evaluate pitchers… That’s the only way Quintana would be considered just a “good” pitcher.
At worst, he has been a top 10 pitcher in the American League over each of the last 3 years. Maybe your standards are just super high, because I’d consider that a lot better than “good.”
Bowden’s blog must have been hacked. Clown.
Stop holding out for Martes and Musgrove.
Tucker, Perez, Whitley, Stubbs.
Move on from Houston, no deal there. Astros like what they have. Some GM will pull the trigger, they always do.
Outside of Reyes, do the Cards really have the kind of prospects to land Q? Weaver showed his stuff is more league average than anything last summer. Kelly is obviously an attractive asset, but far from elite, similar to the glove first Perez. Seems like a stretch sans Reyes.
I think the Sox are so desparate to add a solid catching prospect that Kelly could absolutely headline a deal. It may not look “fair” compared to what they’re asking other teams for based on prospect rankings, but I think the positional value would outweigh that for the Sox.
I hear what you’re saying… It’s just that Hahn made it clear he was going for the best package of prospects offered. (He said this after the Nats trade because they were all pitchers.) It will be interesting to see if he changes strategy and goes for need a few years out from contention or stays the course.
As cards fan, I like Kelly but I wonder if they extend yadi like they’re talking about, he’s going to be blocked, even if Yaris regression brings him below Kelly’s value because matheny will never bench yadi until his arm falls off or something. So if that’s the case might as well trade Kelly while his value is max and roll dice with drafting another catcher or free agent when Yadis gone. I could see yadi starting for 4-5 years still if he ages like his brothers. Would Kelly, bader and say Gomber/ flaherty or Alcantara get close to Q?
Basing on what the Sox got for Sale and Eaton, it doesn’t seem likely. Not saying Q has the same value, necessarily, but each trade was headlined by two guys inside the top 32 as far as prospect rankings. (At the time, Giolito was the #1 pitching prospect in the game.) Pus the Sox do have Collins as a bat-first catching prospect, too. Without Reyes, it just seems like a hard sell.
Your guess is as good as mine, but I’d bet the Sox would have interest in Kelly and Alcantara at the very least. Then throw in another top organizational ranked position prospect (Perez/Sierra/Bader) and a lottery ticket arm, and you might be able to swing a deal. Like I said, just a guess. Prospect rankings only mean so much, so it’s hard to tell. All depends on how the Sox staff value these players compared to how the ranking sites value them.
Zero chance sox would do something like that.
Yeah… with Reyes off the table, it would have to be Kelly, Weaver, and Wong just to get a foot in the door. Cardinals’ lack elite prospects would make CHW ask for more quantity, or even established MLB pieces.
I still think the could have the best package for Quintana, guys like Green, Cessa, Mitchell, and Severino are all possible trade pieces that are good.prospects. Position players like Mateo, Andujar, Fowler and McKinney might be better than the second tier that the Astros and Pirates are offering for him. I don’t see the Pirates giving up Glasnow or Meadows and I don;t see the Astros giving up Musgrave for him.
The Yankees absolutely could put together a great package for Quintana, but it won’t be with the junk you listed. Everyone you listed outside of Mateo would be a nice third piece in a deal at best (and I like Andujar for the Sox a lot)… Mateo MIGHT be able to be a second piece, but his value is down right now, so even that’d be a stretch for me. More like 2 of Torres/Frazier/Rutherford/Kaprielian/Sheffield plus at least one of the guys you listed. Quintana isn’t going for a handful of mediocre players/prospects.
We will see! Mr. Hahn may have to just keep Quintana and finish in last place. Just remember that Quintana himself was worse junk when the Yanks got rid of him, it’s impossible to say which prospect is better, they are prospects.
Actually, Quintana was better than the majority of guys you listed when the Yankees chose to let him leave. He was putting up very solid numbers in the minors for them at the time. Not sure what the heck they were thinking…
And even if he was worse junk at the time, the White Sox got him without giving anything up. That’s not the kind of prospect that headlines a deal for a very good pitcher on an excellent contract.
Quintana was not a junk prospect and the Yankees didn’t “get rid of him”. He was a free agent who was still working back from a Drug Suspension and had to be added to the 40-man in order to be retained.
Whether the Yankees can put together the best package and whether they should are two different questions. Quintana doesn’t help them this year because they’re not contenders yet. I’m guessing they’d rather see how their prospects handle the majors this year and then work on additions to the team when they’re ready to contend. If they got him, they’d be wasting at least one and more likely two years of his control before they’re ready to go anywhere in the playoffs.
Quintana is a quality top-notch starter who has been very consistent and reliable for the Sox. He has often been plagued by a lack of run support. He is in his prime with a team friendly contract. You bet the Sox should get plenty for him. Just sayin’.
As a Cardinals fan, I’d love to get Quintana. Problem is, it’s not likely to even get far along in discussions.
White Sox would need Reyes or Carson Kelly and Weaver to even get the conversation started. And even then, NY and others have better center pieces. The only way Cardinals outbid every other team is if they throw quantity, and I mean quantity, at the White Sox. Your talking Kelly, Weaver, Bader, Flaherty, Sierra, probably even more. Mozeliaks M.O has never been to deplete the farm for one player.
STL is better suited to wait and see and reassess at trade deadline. Plus next year Reyes will be back, and has the potential to be a good #2 pitcher behind Martinez.
Lucas Duda injury “not serious”
Mets translation= we are slowly easing you into accepting Duda is out for the year, and all of 2018 as well