The Jose Quintana trade rumors have died down significantly as Opening Day approaches. While things could change at any time, it appears as if the White Sox ace will enter the 2017 season on the South Side.
The teams interested in Quintana haven’t changed. The Astros and Pirates are still the favorites with teams like the Braves and Cardinals lurking in the bathroom.
Chicago’s asking price for Quintana hasn’t changed either. The team is looking for top prospects and will not accept pennies on the dollar for their star. While the South Siders are rebuilding, they aren’t going to trade just to trade.
The White Sox did get a bit of good news as Quintana proved just how good he is in his dominant World Baseball Classic debut. Quintana threw five no-hit innings for Colombia against a potent USA squad. He struck out four in an outing that Hall of Famer John Smoltz called, “the greatest performance in the first round of the WBC”.
While Quintana didn’t necessarily need to prove himself, he showed just how talented he really is. After his impressive showing, team’s should feel confident in trading their top young prospects for the Colombian star.
As teams once again line up for Quintana’s services, a new report states that the White Sox have a preferred team they would like to trade their ace to.
The New York Post’s George A. King III recently reported that the White Sox have been scouting the New York Yankees throughout Spring Training. He wrote:
Since a White Sox scout has been a constant figure at the Yankees’ exhibition games to evaluate talent, the industry buzz is the White Sox have targeted the Yankees as a possible trade partner if they decide to move left-handed starter Jose Quintana.
The Yankees showed interest in Quintana earlier this offseason. Apparently the feeling is mutual from the White Sox. If Rick Hahn got his way, Jose Quintana would be playing for the Bronx Bombers in 2017.
New York State Of Mind
According to Roster Resource the Yankees are expected to enter the season with a pitching rotation of: Masahrio Tanaka, CC Sabathia, Michael Pineda, Luis Severino and Chad Green.
Tanaka is the only surefire thing in the Yankees rotation. He has been lights out this Spring Training and looks to be a potential CY Young candidate in the American League. However the four pitchers behind Tanaka are far from consistent entities in the rotation.
Sabathia hasn’t had a winning record since 2013 and hasn’t had a sub 3.50 ERA since 2012. Going on 37 Sabathia is out to prove he still has some gas left in the tank. But it’s unlikely he even comes close to touching average #2 starter numbers.
Pineda had a remarkable 10.2 K/9 in 2016, but he had a 6-12 record with a 4.82 ERA. At just 28 he has the potential to turn it around. But Pineda’s inconsistencies have become a major problem and it’s hard to trust a pitcher like that come playoff time.
Severino provides the most upside out of all the pitchers outside of Tanaka. The 21 year old is only a few years off from being a top prospect himself. He had a stellar 5-3 record with a 2.89 ERA in 2015, but he fell off in 2016 pitching to a 3-8 record with a 5.83 ERA. The upcoming season will allow Severino to prove he could still be a contributor at the MLB. However going into the season Severino cannot be counted on to be a consistent starter.
Green has appeared in 12 major league games holding a 2-4 record with a 4.73 ERA. He is hanging on by a thread to be apart of the Yankees rotation.
The point here is that out of Tanaka, there is no consistency in the Yankees rotation. Quintana is the epitome of consistency, pitching atleast 200 innings with 150 strikeouts while holding a sub 3.60 ERA.
Tanaka and Quintana would form one of the best 1-2 punches in the MLB. As the Yankees look to make it back to the playoffs, adding the White Sox ace could be the quickest way to accomplish just that.
What Would It Cost?
King made it very clear that the Yankees were unwilling to trade: Gary Sanchez, Greg Bird, Gleyber Torres, Justus Sheffield or Aaron Judge. While making so much young talent untouchable could be a dangerous marketing ploy, New York would still have enough young prospects to get a deal done.
A few names that stand out in particular are Clint Frazier, Jorge Mateo, James Kaprielian and Blake Rutherford.
Frazier is currently the Yankees second best prospect and the 24th best prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline. He has appeared in 416 minor league games, hitting .275 with 50 home runs, 205 RBIs and 43 stolen bases.
Frazier is one of the best pure hitters in the minor leagues. He offers 30+ home run potential with a fair amount of speed. He would be an offensive juggernaut in the team’s lineup and a cornerstone piece of the franchise for years to come.
Mateo is currently the Yankees fifth best prospect and the 47th best prospect in baseball. He has appeared in 323 minor league games, hitting .270 with 18 home runs, 122 RBIs and 182 stolen bases.
Mateo’s weapon is obviously his speed. Putting him in the same lineup as Tim Anderson, Charlie Tilson and Yoan Moncada would put the White Sox towards the top of the league in stolen bases. Mateo would likely need to change his position as short stop and second base is occupied, but Rick Renteria would be forced to get Mateo’s legs in the lineup one way or another.
Kaprielian is the Yankees sixth best prospect and the 58th best prospect in baseball. He has appeared in just 7 games and 29 innings, holding a 2-2 record with a 1.55 ERA and a 36/5 K/BB ratio.
The pitcher needs much more time in the minor leagues, as he is just 23 years old. But he has shown elite stuff during the early portions of his career. Kaprielian’s ceiling is ever growing and he could into one of the best pitchers in the White Sox rotation. Adding him to Carlos Rodon, Lucas Giolito, Carson Fulmer, Michael Kopech and Reynaldo Lopez would without a doubt give the Sox the best pitching staff in the major leagues.
Rutherford is the Yankees third best prospect and the 37th best prospect in baseball. He has appeared in just 33 minor league games, hitting .351 with three home runs and 12 RBIs.
Rutherford is just 19 and needs much more time to mature. But the White Sox reportedly had him high on their draft boards and could still be interested. He’s a pure hitter with a solid power stroke. Rutherford would give the White Sox another impressive hitter to pair with Moncada in the middle of their lineup.
Atleast one of these four players would need to be involved to get Quintana. Regardless of which one the White Sox land, he would be one of the best prospects on the South Side and a stalwart in either the team’s lineup or rotation.
Overall
Rick Hahn is not going to only deal with the Yankees. If a team like the Astros or Pirates offers a deal that blows him away, he’ll have to accept. The point of dealing Quintana is getting the best value available.
With that being said, it’s not surprising that the White Sox view the Yankees as their preferred landing spot. New York has a surplus of top prospects and a clear need for Quintana. If the Yankees are in the playoff hunt by the Trade Deadline, they could look to deal for the ace.
As for the White Sox, adding atleast one of Clint Frazier, Jorge Mateo, James Kaprielian or Blake Ruthefordd would be a great haul. As the team continues to rebuild, adding more top 100 prospects only makes their 2019-2020 outlook better.
The Jose Quintana sweepstakes are far from over, and it’s unclear where he will finish the 2017 season. However if the White Sox got their way, he would be playing in the Big Apple for the Bronx Bombers while the South Siders continue adding young, impressive talent.
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