A year ago today the Chicago Cubs traded for White Sox pitcher Jose Quintana and before you go out and say it was a terrible trade, consider this.
Tomorrow is the 1-year anniversary of the Jose Quintana trade. Since then, Quintana has made 32 starts with a 3.86 ERA (3.99 FIP), a 24.2% strikeout rate, and an 8.6% walk rate.
He's still just 29 and the Cubs have for 2.5 more years on the (relatively) cheap.
— Michael Cerami (@Michael_Cerami) July 12, 2018
Quintana also played a big role in leading the Cubs to a division title in the second half of the season, giving the team a shot at another World Series championship. Obviously that goal fell short, as the Cubs were ousted in the NLCS by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
And although Quintana hasn’t been as consistent in 2018, as he has throughout his career, he’s still been pretty damn good. His track record also suggests he’ll return to form in the second half.
Also, the struggles have really been exaggerated for Quintana this season.
José Quintana
3.00 ERA over last 14 starts #Cubs— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) July 11, 2018
Anyway, because Quintana’s starts haven’t all gone smoothly there’s the perception he hasn’t been good, which again is false. That doesn’t stop the criticism, but Willson Contreras isn’t here for that bullshit.
Check out this awesome response by Contreras on Instagram to the NBC Sports Chicago account that asked about Quintana.
Yo! Willson Contreras spitting 🔥 on Instagram for his pitcher. 👀 😍 pic.twitter.com/JOp5dObhgz
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) July 13, 2018
Gotta love Contreras sticking up for his pitcher. That’s leadership. That’s being a great teammate.
And if anyone knows about having passion for the game, it’s Willson Contreras.
Willson Contreras has spoken. Jose Quintana is a Ferrari.
