PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – You had the sense he would be traded from the day he signed a one-year contract assuming he had a bounce-back year. Jose Quintana took care of his business and the Pirates made the assumed transaction on Monday night as first reported by Francys Romero.
Quintana, and reliever Chris Stratton, going to the St. Louis Cardinals for 24-year-old starter Johan Oviedo and their 10th best prospect, 21-year corner infielder Malcom Nunez.
In Oviedo, the Pirates get a 6’5”, 245-pound right-hander who was 4-2 with a 5.58 ERA in 10 starts in AAA this season, striking out 51, walking 23 and allowing 14 home runs in 50 innings with a 1.32 WHIP and .231 batting average against.
He likely would join the Pirates after pitching mostly in relief for the Cardinals this year. The numbers-2-1, 3.20 ERA, 14 games (1 start), 25.1 innings, 26 strikeouts, 1.30 WHIP. The native of Cuba was hit on his pitching had by a comebacker on July 4, but never went on the injured list and returned a few days later.
Nunez is a 5’11”, 205-pound power bat, also from Cuba. The right-handed hitter has 17 home runs in 85 games with AA Springfield this season. He flashed some of that power his first season in rookie ball hitting 13 homers in 44 games. In 2022-.255 average, .360 OBP with 48 walks to 71 strikeouts, ,463 slugging adding 11 doubles and 66 RBI (3rd in Texas League, two off the lead) to the 17 home runs (7th in the Texas League).
His time with the Pirates just 20 starts, but the 33-year-old Quintana posted a 3.50 ERA (20th in NL) with 89 strikeouts to 31 walks in 103 innings with a 1.27 WHIP.
Stratton is one of the few in the Bucs clubhouse who were with the team before the pandemic. This season 5-4 with a 5.09 ERA, but overall in Pittsburgh 15-7 with a 3.98 ERA with 209 strikeouts in 196.2 innings.
The MLB trade deadline is Tuesday evening at 6p. The Pirates host Milwaukee Tuesday night at 7:05p.