Angels Sign Jose Quintana
JAN. 22: The Angels have announced the move.
JAN. 19: The Angels have an agreement with free-agent left-hander Jose Quintana, pending a physical, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. It’s a one-year, $8MM contract for the Wasserman client, per Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports.
Quintana was one of the most accomplished innings eaters available in free agency, as the 31-year-old has thrown 1,495 frames of 3.73 ERA/3.99 SIERA ball between the White Sox and Cubs since his career began in 2012. Of course, a good portion of Quintana’s career has been spent with Angels manager Joe Maddon, who was the Cubs’ skipper when the southpaw pitched for the club from 2017-19. Maddon was with the Angels last season, when Quintana missed most of the year with thumb problems. He totaled just one start and 10 innings in his final season in Chicago.
Last year’s injury issues look like an anomaly for Quintana, who entered the season with seven straight campaigns of 170-plus innings. That’s the type of durability the Angels have lacked in recent years. They’ve battled a litany of injuries in their rotation en route to six straight seasons without a playoff berth, but a healthy Quintana may help turn their fortunes around in 2021.
Along with Quintana, the Angels are set to feature Dylan Bundy, Andrew Heaney and Griffin Canning in the top four of their rotation next season. Two-way player Shohei Ohtani and Jaime Barria also figure to collect plenty of starts for the club, though new general manager Perry Minasian might not be done addressing that part of the Angels’ roster.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cubs Notes: Wick, Chafin, Quintana, Lester
The Cubs bullpen has quietly gotten on track after a very rough start to the season, but the relief corps took a hit with yesterday’s news that Rowan Wick suffered a left oblique strain. Wick “got some testing done and it’s pretty bad,” manager David Ross told MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian and other reporters, and it could mean that Wick might be out of action for the postseason. Wick has a 3.12 ERA, 10.4 K/9, and 3.33 K/BB over 17 1/3 innings this season, with just one home run allowed. He also has four saves this season, though none over the last month as Jeremy Jeffress has recently emerged as Chicago’s top closer option.
The most obvious replacement is Andrew Chafin, who was just activated from his own stint on the injured list. A left finger sprain has kept Chafin out of action since August 17, meaning that Chafin has yet to pitch since the Cubs acquired from the Diamondbacks at the trade deadline. Chafin has an 8.10 ERA this season, though over the small sample size of 6 2/3 innings, and a lot of that damage stems from a July 29th outing that saw Chafin allow three runs to the Rangers without retiring a batter. If Chafin returns to his solid form from the 2015-19 seasons, he could be an important weapon for a Cubs team that has designs on a deep October run.
More from Wrigleyville…
- Speaking of the bullpen, Ross said that the Cubs will use Jose Quintana in short stints when he returns from the 10-day injured list. Quintana is expected to return during the Cubs’ upcoming four-game series with the Pirates (beginning on Monday), and the team’s plan is to gradually build up Quintana’s pitch count. But, “if not, if we don’t have that opportunity….then he’ll just stay a bullpen piece and we’ll use him that way,” Ross said. Between Quintana’s recovery from thumb surgery and this current IL stint due to a left lat injury, the southpaw has only made two appearances all season, both as a reliever — these games marked his first work as a relief pitcher since his 2012 rookie season. Assuming no setbacks and a spot on the postseason roster, Quintana could be an intriguing x-factor in the playoffs, theoretically capable of working as a traditional reliever, a multi-inning swingman, a bulk pitcher following an opener, or as an opener himself for the first two or three innings of a bullpen game.
- The Cubs surely won’t exercise their $25MM club option on Jon Lester for the 2021 season, as the veteran left-hander will instead be bought out at the lower sum of $10MM. That said, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago opines that a reunion between Lester and the Cubs on a lower-cost deal shouldn’t be ruled out, with Lester offering familiarity and veteran leadership to a team that will still need pitching depth. Lester has a 4.91 ERA, 2.92 K/BB rate, and 6.7 K/9 over 51 1/3 innings in 2020, showing only flashes of his past All-Star form. On the plus side, Lester is still very durable, averaging 199 innings per season from 2008-19 with only a few minor IL stints during that stretch. Lester, Quintana, and Tyler Chatwood will all be free agents, leaving Yu Darvish and Kyle Hendricks as the only locks for Chicago’s 2021 pitching staff. No-hitter hero Alec Mills seems like a solid bet for one rotation spot, and youngsters like Adbert Alzolay, Tyson Miller, or even top prospect Brailyn Marquez will be in competition for the other two jobs, so bringing Lester back as an experienced option makes some sense.
Cubs Place Jose Quintana On 10-Day Injured List
The Cubs are placing southpaw Jose Quintana on the 10-day injured with left lat inflammation, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports. They recalled righty Jason Adam to take Quintana’s place on their roster, per Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic.
This continues a year to forget for Quintana, who had to undergo left thumb surgery at the beginning of July and was unable to debut until Aug. 25. Quintana has since thrown six innings of four-run ball with nine strikeouts and two walks over a pair of relief appearances. He’ll now rejoin righty Tyler Chatwood as Cubs starting options on the injured list. The NL Central leaders still have Cy Young contender Yu Darvish, Kyle Hendricks, Jon Lester and Alec Mills around to fill rotation spots, but there’s nobody with a track record rivaling Quintana’s to take his position, and the Cubs can’t look for established outside help now that the trade deadline has passed. For now, it seems the Cubs will turn to righty Adbert Alzolay, who has three MLB starts on his resume.
Quintana is only several weeks from reaching the free-agent market, so it’s far from ideal that he’ll shop his services around the majors off an injury-ruined season. The 31-year-old, previously with the White Sox, has typically been quite durable since his career began in 2012. In fact, from 2013-19, he made 30-plus starts every season and logged 171-plus innings in each of those campaigns.
Cubs Activate Jose Quintana, Tyler Chatwood
The Cubs announced that they have activated left-hander Jose Quintana and righty Tyler Chatwood from the injured list. The club optioned righty Jason Adam and outfielder Ian Miller to its alternate site in corresponding moves.
Quintana hasn’t pitched this season after undergoing left thumb surgery in early July, though he’s known for consistently providing solid production over a large number of innings. The 31-year-old will head into this season with a 3.72 ERA/3,65 FIP in 1,485 innings divided between Chicago’s two teams. While 246 of Quintana’s lifetime 250 appearances have come as a starter, he seems likely to function as a reliever this year, at least in the early going.
Chatwood, meanwhile, will rejoin the Cubs’ rotation after missing a couple weeks with a back strain. The former Rockie has largely been a disappointment since he signed a three-year, $38MM contract with the Cubs before 2018, but his platform season has brought some encouraging signs. Chatwood’s 5.40 ERA through 15 innings is unsightly, though he has turned in two very good starts versus one clunker this season. He has so far logged an excellent 13.8 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9, and put up a 2.60 FIP/2.71 xFIP/2.91 SIERA.
The Cubs will give Chatwood another chance to hang on to a rotation spot alongside Yu Darvish, Kyle Hendricks, Jon Lester and Alec Mills. However, if he flops upon his return, Quintana could move back into their starting five.
Pitching Notes: D-backs, Cubs, Verlander
Diamondbacks starter Robbie Ray is drawing interest from “a few teams” as a bullpen possibility, Bob Nightengale of USA Today writes. The 28-year-old left-hander has only made three relief appearances in his career (none since his first season in 2014); however, after several respectable seasons as a starter, the soon-to-be free agent has tanked in 2020. He owns an awful 8.33 ERA/7.77 FIP with 8.33 BB/9 across 27 innings this year, though some clubs may have hope that Ray’s high-strikeout ways will lead to success in the bullpen during the stretch run of the season. That said, there’s no guarantee the Diamondbacks will move Ray before the Aug. 31 deadline, as they entered Monday a manageable two games back of a wild-card spot.
- More on the Diamondbacks, who made righty Merrill Kelly a late scratch before his start Monday. It was easy to speculate on a potential trade when that happened, but it turns out Kelly is dealing with a nerve impingement in his pitching shoulder, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic tweets. The club has placed Kelly on the 10-day injured list as a result and recalled righty Riley Smith. Kelly has been quite effective this season, as MLBTR’s Steve Adams explained Monday, so losing him is a blow to the D-backs’ playoff hopes and perhaps a less-than-ideal development heading into the deadline.
- Cubs southpaw Jose Quintana and righty Tyler Chatwood will come off the injured list Tuesday, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports. Quintana, who has been out all season after undergoing left thumb surgery, will work from the bullpen upon his return. That’s relatively new territory for Quintana, who has totaled just four relief appearances out of 250 in his career. As Wittenmyer notes, though, Quintana could find himself back in a starting role soon if Chatwood or Alec Mills falters (Mills didn’t in a win over Detroit on Monday). Chatwood, who will start Tuesday, turned in a pair of great outings to open the season, but he went on the IL with a back issue after the Royals shellacked him for eight earned runs on 11 hits in 2 1/3 innings on Aug. 6. He’s now set to rejoin Mills, Yu Darvish, Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester in the Cubs’ rotation.
- It has been nearly a month since the Astros shut down ace Justin Verlander because of a right forearm strain, but the reigning AL Cy Young winner continues to make progress in his recovery. Manager Dusty Baker issued an update on Verlander on Monday, saying to Mark Berman of Fox 26 and other reporters: “I think he threw 20 pitches yesterday. He said he felt pretty good. That’s a positive sign.” It’s still unknown whether Verlander will make it back this year, especially with only about a month remaining in the regular season. Houston has started 15-13 despite only one appearance from Verlander (and several other notable injuries), putting the team two games back of a wild-card spot.
Theo Epstein On Cubs’ Trade Deadline Plans
Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein spoke to media members including Russell Dorsey from the Chicago Sun-Times on Friday, tackling a wide array of topics including the trade deadline, the Cubs’ intentions, and the trade landscape in the league as a whole.
“There are a lot of years when we know we have an impactful move or two in us. It’s just a matter of finding it and executing on it,” said Epstein in a quote provided by Dorsey. “This year, the moves might be more complimentary and there might be more internal solutions.”
Epstein has a history of getting out in front of the Cubs’ deadline plans with the media and setting expectations for a fanbase that annually eyes a blockbuster deal. Epstein is setting expectations below that level. Specifically, Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer are hunting for a lefty for the bullpen, per Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com (via Twitter). Of course, Levine clarifies, the real intent is acquiring any bullpen arm that can retire left-handed batters.
The Cubs have but one southpaw in the pen as of now: Kyle Ryan has appeared in 9 of the Cubs’ 25 games thus far, but a .364 BABIP and 50% FB/HR ratio have contributed to a substandard 7.04 ERA/7.61 FIP. His 4.06 expected FIP may give rise to the notion that Ryan’s seen some bad luck on batted balls in the early going. Brad Wieck, the other lefty on their Opening Day roster, was placed on the 45-day IL with a strained hamstring. The towering southpaw made just one appearance before heading to the injured list.
The lefty specialist may not be the marquee addition for which Northsiders hunger, but Epstein offered a sunny outlook on the potential impact of the non-blockbuster acquisition: “We’ve done some pretty big trades at the deadline most years, but the smaller moves where you get incrementally better in a couple of different areas, especially to address certain needs can make a big difference as well.”
One of those big acquisitions from previous years will return to the roster shortly. Jose Quintana simulated a 2-inning outing yesterday in what could be a final tune-up before returning to the rotation, per Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter). Overall, Quintana has provided the Cubs with reliably back-end-quality innings, though it’s been delivered in an up-and-down fashion that teases greater potential.
Quintana’s return, along with the return of Tyler Chatwood, will give manager David Ross some decisions to make regarding his rotation. Yu Darvish, Kyle Hendricks, and Jon Lester figure to have themselves a seat when the music stops, but Alec Mills and Adbert Alzolay may be relegated to pen duty or sent back to the alternate site until the Cubs are in need of additional starters. Alzolay gave the Cubs a solid outing last week before being sent back to the alternate site, while Mills remains in the rotation at least until Chatwood returns.
Those seven starters may be partially responsible for the Cubs’ sobering deadline plans, but the pandemic also plays a role. Epstein pontificated, as he is wont to do, on not only his team’s deadline hopes, but what the market holds for the league as a whole: “In the game overall, you might still see those big moves, if there’s a perfect match and one team’s long-term needs complement another team’s short-term needs, you may see a big trade. But there’s certainly obstacles to that industry-wide and in our situation.”
Epstein and other decision-makers have to weigh considerations beyond their teams’ on-field needs this year. The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney provides this quote from Epstein on the logistical and social scrutiny required of teams in the time of COVID:
“Every team is going to be cognizant of who they’re bringing in and how responsible they would be and how much you can count on them. Also, if acquiring the player puts them in an untenable situation, it might be hard to acquire somebody who’s got a great setup with their family in a certain spot geographically. Then you’re going to pull them out of there and put them into a situation where they’re not set up to have stability or set up to have success. You have to weigh it from that end, too. Impact on our group and on the execution of the protocols, but then also impact on the individual and making sure you’re asking something realistic of somebody.”
Latest On Jose Quintana
5:09pm: Manager David Ross said Quintana will throw a sim game this weekend, so his debut will have to wait a bit longer (via Levine).
4:45pm: Cubs left-hander Jose Quintana hasn’t pitched this season as a result of early July thumb surgery, but he could rejoin their rotation as early as this weekend, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago relays. Quintana’s in line to throw a sim game at the Cubs’ alternate site Saturday, though the club could decide to bring him to the majors instead.
The loss of Quintana looked like a significant blow to Chicago’s chances when it occurred, but the first-place team’s rotation has managed to thrive – not just survive – without him. Cubs starters will enter play Tuesday third in ERA (3.33) and FIP (3.32), largely because Yu Darvish has returned to being one of the premier pitchers in baseball and Kyle Hendricks has been his usual front-of-the-rotation self. Meantime, Jon Lester and Alec Mills have posted sub-3.00 ERAs (albeit with far less impressive peripherals) across a combined seven starts.
Like Darvish, Hendricks and Lester, the 31-year-old Quintana brings an extensive MLB track record to the table. The longtime workhorse’s run prevention wasn’t as solid as it typically has been last year, but he still gave the Cubs 171 innings of 4.68 ERA/3.80 FIP pitching with 8.0 K/9 and 2.42 BB/9. Considering he’s due to become a free agent after the season, it’ll be interesting to see if Quintana enjoys a bounce-back over the next several weeks.
When Quintana does return, it seems likely he’ll take Tyler Chatwood‘s place in the Cubs’ staff. Chatwood was dominant in his first two starts of the season, but he suffered through a 2 1/3-inning, eight-earned run nightmare against the Royals Aug. 6. Chatwood went on the IL this past Sunday with a back strain, and pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said Tuesday he’s seeking a second opinion from an orthopedic specialist, per Bruce Levine of 670 The Score.
Pitching Notes: Hamels, Quintana, M’s, Tigers
Left-hander Cole Hamels, whom the Braves placed on the 45-day injured list July 23, still has not thrown off a mound during his recovery from a triceps problem, Mark Bowman of MLB.com tweets. The Braves remain hopeful Hamels will pitch this year, though, per manager Brian Snitker. Of course, Hamels isn’t eligible to return until early September, so the Braves will get a very limited season from him at best. That wasn’t the outcome either side expected when the Braves signed the longtime workhorse to a one-year deal worth $18MM deal during the offseason. The Hamels injury is one of many issues the Braves’ rotation has encountered since then (most recently, they optioned lefty Sean Newcomb on Monday in the wake of a horrid performance), but the back-to-back NL East champions are still off to a solid start at 11-7.
- Cubs southpaw Jose Quintana will throw a three-inning sim game Tuesday, Bruce Levine of 670 The Score reports. However, there’s still no word on when Quintana will make his 2020 debut after suffering a left thumb injury over a month ago. Even without Quintana, though, the Cubs’ rotation has come storming out of the gates. Entering Monday’s action, the Yu Darvish–Kyle Hendricks–Jon Lester–Tyler Chatwood–Alec Mills quintet was second in the game in FIP (2.76) and fourth in ERA (2.83)
- The Mariners placed right-hander Carl Edwards Jr. on the injured list with a flexor mass strain in his forearm and recalled fellow righty Bryan Shaw from their alternate site, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times relays. Edwards’ injury sounds worrisome, though manager Scott Servais said it’s “not that serious.” But as Servais noted, even a couple weeks lost in a 60-game season is a significant amount of time. It’s unfortunate for the M’s and Edwards, who combined for an awful run in Chicago and San Diego from 2018-19 but who has come back nicely this year. He yielded one earned run on two hits and one walk (six strikeouts) across 4 2/3 innings before landing on the IL.
- The Tigers placed righty Buck Farmer on the IL on Monday with a left groin strain and recalled righty Beau Burrows, per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. Farmer was a bright spot on a bottom-feeding Tigers team a year ago and has kept runs off the board at an even better clip this season, having allowed just two ER on four hits and three walks in 6 2/3 innings. On the negative side, Farmer has struck out only one hitter after fanning almost 10 per nine in 2019.
Injury Notes: Rendon, Altuve, Hamels, Cubs, Orioles
The Angels aren’t sure whether third baseman and top winter acquisition Anthony Rendon will be ready when they open their season Friday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com relays. Rendon, a former Nationals star whom the Angels signed to a seven-year, $245MM contract in free agency, has been dealing with oblique soreness since last week. If he’s not able to take the field in a few days, the Angels are expected to use David Fletcher and Matt Thaiss at the hot corner, per Bollinger. The Angels’ infield could also be missing Luis Rengifo, who Bollinger writes stands a “strong chance” of sitting out the opener on account of hamstring soreness.
- Astros second baseman Jose Altuve left the team’s preseason game against the Royals on Tuesday with a left leg contusion, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. There’s now some question as to whether the former MVP will be healthy enough to go when the Astros’ season starts. “We’re hopeful he’ll be ready on Friday,” manager Dusty Baker said. “We’ll analyze him tomorrow and see where he is in the morning. Usually the day after that, you’re pretty sore.”
- “It’s going to be a while” before left-hander Cole Hamels debuts in 2020, Braves manager Brian Snitker said Tuesday (via Mark Bowman of MLB.com). Hamels dealt with shoulder inflammation during spring training and has recently battled triceps tendinitis, thereby preventing him from facing live hitters over the past several months. Considering how short this season will be, the Braves may have trouble getting much bang for their buck out of Hamels. They inked the longtime workhorse to a one-year, $18MM contract over the winter. That guarantee turned into approximately a prorated $7MM when the season went from 162 games to 60.
- Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who has been fighting rib and back issues, seems to be progressing. Manager David Ross said Tuesday (via Jordan Bastian of MLB.com) that it “looks like all thumbs up from today” in regards to Rizzo. He’s slated to start the team’s exhibition game against Minnesota on Wednesday. Meanwhile, southpaw Jose Quintana – who underwent surgery on his left thumb three weeks ago – issued an encouraging update on his status (per Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune), saying he’s not feeling any pain. It remains unclear when he’ll be able to take the mound this season, though.
- Orioles left-hander John Means will miss Opening Day because of arm fatigue, Joe Trezza of MLB.com tweets. As a result, offseason minor league signing and fellow southpaw Tommy Milone will start the Orioles’ opener against Boston on Friday. It’s not known when Means will be able to debut in 2020, but the Orioles are surely hoping it will be sooner than later. The 27-year-old Means was one of the few bright spots on Baltimore’s talent-deprived roster last season, after all, as he logged a 3.60 ERA/4.41 FIP with 7.03 K/9 and 2.21 BB/9 across 155 innings.
Health Notes: Nationals, deGrom, Tanaka, Quintana, Pads
Outfielder Juan Soto, infielder Howie Kendrick and infield prospect Luis Garcia all returned to the Nationals on Thursday after quarantining for two weeks, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com was among those to report. It’s up in the air whether the Nationals will be able to pencil Soto or Kendrick into their lineup when their season opens next Thursday, but it’s encouraging to see those two and Garcia cleared. Meanwhile, there hasn’t been any change in center fielder Victor Robles‘ status, manager Dave Martinez said (via Zuckerman, on Twitter). Robles has been in isolation during Summer Camp.
- After an MRI on Mets ace Jacob deGrom‘s back returned good results Thursday, he had a throwing session and told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com and other reporters that he plans to start Opening Day. However, the Mets aren’t ready to say whether that will happen. Manager Luis Rojas stated the club’s taking “a day-to-day approach” with the back-to-back NL Cy Young winner, who probably won’t be able to go as long as expected if he does take the mound for their opener. He’d originally been slated for around 100 pitches, but 85 seems to be a more realistic ceiling now. In the meantime, deGrom will throw 65 pitches in an exhibition game against the Yankees on Sunday.
- Yankees righty Masahiro Tanaka returned to the mound Thursday for the first time since suffering a concussion on July 5. Tanaka threw a 30-pitch bullpen session that was “higher intensity” than the team expected and “very crisp,” pitching coach Matt Blake told reporters (including Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News). Tanaka will throw another bullpen session Sunday. The Yankees haven’t ruled out Tanaka from being part of the first turn through their rotation, but it seems likely he’ll miss at least one start, per Ackert. In the meantime, considering the team has an off-day in the first week of the season, it could start with a four-man rotation of Gerrit Cole, James Paxton, J.A. Happ, Jordan Montgomery and then plug in Tanaka.
- Cubs southpaw Jose Quintana, two weeks removed from left thumb surgery, played catch from 60 feet Thursday, Bruce Levine of 670 The Score relays. Quintana “felt fine,” according to manager David Ross. Still, Levine writes that Quintana will start the season on the injured list, which will be the first IL stint of his career. The Cubs aren’t putting a timetable on exactly how long they’ll go without Quintana, with Ross saying, “Today was a nice positive, but one thing I know from my time in baseball — a lot of twists and turns, so it’s wait and see for me.”
- Padres righty Trey Wingenter is seeking a second opinion on his ailing pitching elbow, manager Jayce Tingler said Thursday (via AJ Cassavell of MLB.com). The team previously shut down Wingenter last week because of inflammation. The 26-year-old was among the Padres’ most-utilized relievers last season, throwing 51 innings. Wingenter only managed a 5.65 ERA, and he walked 4.94 batters per nine, but he also put up a 12.71 K/9, posted a 3.61 FIP and averaged 96 mph on his fastball.