White Sox scout Yankees for potential Jose Quintana trade

New York Post ^ | March 8, 2017 | 9:11pm | George A. King III

[TBP]

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.

Quintana, a former Yankees minor leaguer who was allowed to flee via free agency after he wasn’t placed on the 40-man roster following the 2010 season, is very attractive on several levels for the Yankees and other clubs seeking starting pitching.

One, he is 28. Two, he has a 46-46 record with a 3.41 ERA in 154 games (151 starts) in his career and has worked 200 innings or more in the previous four seasons. Three, he was 13-12 with a 3.20 ERA for an awful White Sox club last year. Finally, he is signed for this season and next at a team-friendly total of $14.35 million with club options of $10.5 million in 2019 and 2020.

The rebuilding White Sox are looking for youth and the Yankees, with one of the best systems in baseball, have it. However, the Yankees won’t trade Gary Sanchez, Greg Bird, Gleyber Torres, Justus Sheffield or Aaron Judge, and that might take them out of the mix.

Adding Quintana would immediately upgrade the Yankees’ rotation that currently is led by Masahiro Tanaka, with CC Sabathia and Michael Pineda, and is looking to fill the final two spots from a group of five hurlers.

[TBP]

I noticed immediately that the Post didn’t list Jorge Mateo as one of the players the Yankees won’t trade. Does that mean he could be available in a deal for someone like Quintana? Dillon Tate and James Kaprelian weren’t listed among the untouchables either.

As the Post notes, “Adding Quintana would immediately upgrade the Yankees’ rotation that currently is led by Masahiro Tanaka, with CC Sabathia and Michael Pineda, and is looking to fill the final two spots from a group of five hurlers.” Quintana is just 28. He has a 46-46 record with a 3.41 ERA in 154 games (151 starts) in his career and has worked 200 innings or more in the previous four seasons. He was 13-12 with a 3.20 ERA for an awful White Sox club last year. Finally, he is signed for this season and next at a team-friendly total of $14.35 million with club options of $10.5 million in 2019 and 2020. (These numbers come from the article.) And he’s a southpaw. (CC Sabathia is the only lefty among the eight pitchers vying for spots in the rotation.)

[OrangeHoof]

What’s important is whether the White Sox will rely on Russian hackers to manipulate the trade or possibly use CIA devices to bug the Yankees front office.

[BlueYonder]

Yanks traded Q to the Pale Hose. It’s time to undo that mistake.

[redfreedom]

Isn’t “White Sox” racist? How about “Yankees” triggering bad feelings about old white men?

That’s it, I’ve had it, I’m going to my safe space.

[TBP]

It would be costly for them to do it, but they have lots of young talent. Both Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus rate them the #2 farm system in baseball.

It would likely cost them a package similar to what they got for Chapman, but it just might be worth it. Quintana is one of the few guys worth breaking up that haul for.

Imagine Tanaka, Quintana, Sabathia, Pineda, and one of Mitchell/Warren/Severino/Green/Cessa, with a couple of the others in the bullpen. That is a strong rotation and the pen gets stronger too.