Jose Quintana Is Still Here


Jose Quintana is still here.

This isn't news to you. It's not news to anybody.

At the same time, it is news.

Both Jim Bowden and Jeff Passan reminded us all of the fact that Jose is still here, and that there are teams out there that would like to trade for him.
Passan went a bit further than a couple of tweets, deciding instead to write an entire column about the fact that Jose Quintana is good, and that he's still here.
Over the last few days, the buzz around camps in Florida and Arizona converged on the same player: Jose Quintana. Scouts ran their information up the chain – Chicago White Sox scouts are everywhere – and the game of telephone ended with general managers across the game wondering: Are they finally going to deal Quintana? 
The answer, major league sources familiar with the talks told Yahoo Sports, is the same it’s been since the White Sox committed to rebuild and started the dismantling of their core: Yes … but only for the right price. And even as the White Sox have dispatched more scouts than usual to those back fields, sources said, no deal has materialized.
Passan goes on to mention that teams like the Braves and Pirates are interested in Quintana, adding to Bowden's report that includes the Astros. If you're a White Sox fan, none of this is new information. Hell, the factoid about the Sox wanting a package from Houston that starts with Frances Martes and Kyle Tucker is old news. In fact, we've heard tale that the Astros have already turned down offers from the White Sox that included both of them.

As for the Braves and Pirates, yeah, they aren't new, either. The only team missing is the Yankees.

Again, none of this is really news, but it continues to be news just because Quintana is still here.

When the White Sox went to the Winter Meetings and blew things up by trading both Chris Sale and Adam Eaton to kickstart the rebuild, Quintana was the obvious choice to follow them out the door.

That was a few months ago, and now, with only a few weeks remaining before the start of the actual season with games that count, he's still here. Personally, I've passed the point where I was expecting Quintana to be dealt before the start of the season, and I'm just waiting for the trade deadline. It isn't ideal because having Quintana on the roster makes the White Sox a better team, and in a year when the goal is to lose as many games as possible, it's counter-productive to have him.

But I don't think there's another reasonable choice right now. I just don't see why -- barring an unforeseen injury -- any team that hasn't been willing to pay the price for Quintana this winter will suddenly decide to do so before the season starts.

If Rick Hahn is truly going to maximize the return for Quintana in the same manner that he did Sale and Eaton, it's going to happen during the season. The reason all these White Sox scouts are out watching players isn't because a deal is imminent, or even remotely close. It's so they have the information available when the trade is about to happen in June or July.

Until then, Jose Quintana will still be here, and that will still be news.

Comments

Post a Comment

Try not to be an asshole.

Popular posts from this blog

Write Sox Offseason Plan: Rebuilding Edition

Image
A couple of weeks ago I wrote my version of South Side Sox's Offseason Plan Project , and in that plan I went with what I believe the White Sox are going to try to do this winter: not rebuild. While I still remain skeptical of a total overhaul coming our way this winter, I also realize that it does remain a possibility. I also notice that some members of the local media, and many others of the national media not only think it's very possible, but that it's the correct move to make. And it might be, in the long run, but I'm just not excited about the idea. In my opinion, the idea of a rebuild is a helluva lot more fun than the actual rebuild itself. It's exciting to think of an infusion of young prospects with limitless possibilities, but the reality of the situation typically involves a lot of players that don't pan out, and a shit ton of bad baseball to watch over a six month stretch. Still, just because I'm not into the idea of tearing it all down
Read more

The Worst White Sox Players Of My Lifetime: Position Players Edition

Image
While the entire White Sox fan base sits around waiting for something to happen with Yoenis Cespedes , I figured I'd help us all kill time by continuing what I started last week. If you don't remember, I ranked the greatest White Sox players of my lifetime (by bWAR) in two separate posts; one for position players and one for pitchers. Well, for every yin there must be a yang, and for every Frank Thomas there must be an Adam Dunn . So today I'm continuing the Superlative Series by ranking the worst White Sox players of my lifetime (1981-present), and much like I did with the greatest, players, we'll start with position players. Prepare yourselves for a painful trip down memory lane. We begin with four players who are all tied for seventh place.
Read more

The White Sox Could Find Their Designated Hitter In The Big Apple

Image
When the White Sox designated John Danks for assignment on Tuesday, they made quite a statement. There's no doubt that the Sox have been trying to build a contender for the last few years, but this season things are actually paying off. So when the team showed its longest-tenured player the door because he just wasn't performing well enough, it was the first real sign we've seen since the season started to indicate the White Sox fully intend to "go for it." And while removing Danks from the rotation and replacing him with a carousel of other starters could possibly improve the situation -- I'm honestly not convinced it will, but that's another post for another time -- this is still an imperfect team, win-loss record be damned. The White Sox offense has picked up the pace in recent weeks, but even with a stronger offense, there are still only five regulars with a wRC+ of 100 or higher (100 is league average). While the Sox aren't likely to lo
Read more