PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – The Pirates add a starter they once wanted to acquire in a trade. Audacy Baseball Insider Jon Heyman reports left-hander Jose Quintana will sign for one season.
The signing will become official when the 33-year-old Quintana passes a physical. He will earn about $2 million according to the Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey.
The reports were hot the Pirates wanted him when the Bucs were a playoff team (mid 2010s) and he was languishing with the White Sox with low three ERAs but a .500 record. Quintana would end up heading north, a few miles to the Cubs where he was 33-23 with a 4.24 ERA in four seasons.
The lefty signed for one-year, $8 million with the Angles last winter, making 10 starts in 24 appearances with a 6.75 ERA, 53.1 innings 73 strikeouts to 29 walks with a career-worst 1.78 WHIP. After his release he pitched 9.2 innings with the Giants giving up five runs on six walks and a dozen strikeouts working out to a 4.66 ERA.
Injuries have been an issue for Quintana spending time on the injured list in 2020 with the Cubs for a lat inflammation and thumb injury. Last year spent three weeks on the injured list with shoulder inflammation.
A good chance, if he passes his physical, Quintana would compete with Bryse Wilson, JT Brubaker, Wil Crowe, Mitch Keller, Dillon Peters, Stephen Brault and minor-leaguers Roansy Contreras and Miguel Yajure for a spot in the rotation. He also can work as a reliever and likely, if he has a good first-half of the season, could be turned in a trade like Tanner Anderson was in 2021.