Pittsburgh Pirates Reportedly Make a Push for Jose Quintana

The Pittsburgh Pirates have apparently made an effort to acquire left-handed starter Jose Quintana from the Chicago White Sox.

Count the Pittsburgh Pirates as another team that has made a play for Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Jose Quintana. According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Bucs have “worked hard” on a deal for the left-hander.

The Pirates have worked hard to try to make a trade for Jose Quintana, whose modest contract is perfect for their budget size.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 21, 2016

The idea that the Pirates are looking to add a top starter might seem a bit odd considering they have spent most of the offseason mulling whether or not they should trade franchise stalwart Andrew McCutchen. But as Olney points out, Quintana’s contract makes him a potential fit into Pittsburgh’s short- and long-term plans.

Like his former rotation mate Chris Sale, Quintana is under team control for multiple years at a bargain rate. He is due to make $15.85 million over the next two seasons, plus $22 million over the following two if his 2019 and 2020 team options are picked up. Relative chump change for a pitcher who has rather quietly been one of the better performers in the league over the past few campaigns.

Quintana posted a 3.20 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 3.62 K/BB ratio in 2016 on the way to earning the first All-Star nod of his career. Over his five seasons in the big leagues, he sports a 3.41 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 3.20 K/BB. And perhaps most attractive to teams is his durability: Quintana has logged at least 200 innings in each of the last four years.

He will also be turning just 28 years old next month. Add that to his club-friendly contract and it makes sense that Quintana would be a target not just for teams looking to win right now, but for those looking a bit further down the road as well. The Pirates certainly fit that bill.

After making the postseason for three straight seasons, the Bucs sputtered to a below-.500 record this year for the first time since 2012. Given that their division also houses the reigning World Series champs and a Cardinals team that has made some definite improvements this offseason, it’s hard to blame anyone for being skeptical of Pittsburgh’s chances at least for the immediate future.

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However, the Pirates have shown signs of life recently. It appears they are now committed to keeping McCutchen, at least through the winter. He’ll join Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco in what is still one of the more dynamic outfields in baseball. They just signed reliever Daniel Hudson to a two-year deal that could prove a solid pickup if he rounds back into form. Add someone like Quintana to a rotation that also includes Gerrit Cole, who will hopefully bounce back from an underwhelming year, and the Bucs might have a puncher’s chance against the likes of the Cubs and Cards.

Though the White Sox probably can’t expect the same level of package they got from the Red Sox in the Sale trade, it will still take some legitimate minor league talent to land Quintana. Do the Pirates have what it takes to beat out other interested clubs? One of either Tyler Glasnow or Austin Meadows might have to be on the table.

Olney provided an intriguing response to a fan on Twitter who suggested the Yankees would easily outbid Pittsburgh:

The Yankees haven't talked to the White Sox about Quintana in weeks.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 21, 2016

Earlier this week, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports and MLB Network reported that the Yanks were eyeing Quintana and had the capital in their newly restocked farm system to get a deal done. If Olney is accurate, those talks happened a while ago and may not have really gone anywhere. That’s not too surprising, as Yankees GM Brian Cashman isn’t exactly eager to part with his new young talent.

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Will the White Sox ultimately move Quintana, and if so, will the Pirates be the team securing the southpaw’s services? Stay tuned.