Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan reported Wednesday that the White Sox are still trying to shop pitcher Jose Quintana.
Hopefully the Pirates are still interested and Neal Huntington makes the deal this time around. Huntington balked at making a deal for Quintana in December. He said the asking price was too high. He also said that if people knew what the White Sox wanted, they wouldn't have made the deal, either.
There's no way of knowing exactly what it would have taken, but different reports suggested the White Sox wanted a package that included three of the Pirates' top prospects. That meant a package similar to Tyler Glasnow, Mitch Keller and Austin Meadows or Josh Bell.
I believed before that Huntington should make the deal, and I still believe it today. In fact, I believe that even more strongly today because a couple of things have changed.
First, the fact that this surfaced again in a story from a national baseball writer tells me it came from the White Sox. That tells me they are really interested in unloading Quintana for a package of prospects.
Motivated sellers are generally interested in bargaining, so the price may be lower than maybe it was in December. There's a chance Huntington's plan all along was to wait until the price drops. If so, that's more evidence that he is one of the best general managers in baseball, but he has to make the deal now for that plan to come to fruition.
Second, we have seen enough of Glasnow to at least entertain the idea he may never become an ace. I'm not saying he's a bust. I'm not even saying he isn't as good as advertised. He may turn out to be the right-handed Randy Johnson. But there are at least some red flags to suggest he may not develop into that elite, top-of-the-rotation starter. So, there is risk involved in holding onto Glasnow, and his best value may be as the centerpiece of a trade.
Keller is said to be a great pitching prospect. He throws as hard as 97 mph and has an excellent curve ball. He clearly has a chance to be a very good pitcher. He is also 20 and won't arrive in Pittsburgh until at least 2019. That's the best-case scenario and assumes no setbacks or injuries.
This isn't to minimize how good Keller is or what Glasnow could be, but one is a few years away and the other has a lot of work to do.
The sticking point in this deal likely is Meadows, whom, I agree, is a tough piece to give up. By all accounts, Meadows has all the tools to become a great major league outfielder. He is also the natural replacement for Andrew McCutchen, so it would be tough to part ways with him. I understand that and may even lean towards Huntington's way of thinking if the White Sox insist Meadows be in the deal.
Again, maybe the price has dropped a little bit. Maybe Bell can replace Meadows in a deal. As much as I like Bell and think he can be a really good hitter, he has some limitations. He isn't a big-time power hitter, which means his bat isn't irreplaceable. He also is an average fielder _ that's probably generous _ and isn't likely to significantly improve. The Pirates also have Jose Osuna, who could become the first baseman of the future or McCutchen's replacement if Meadows is dealt.
If the deal is for Bell, Keller and Glasnow, Huntington should do it today. I know it's giving up a lot, but it's bringing a lot back.
Quintana isn't a superstar, but he is exactly what the Pirates need. He's a lefty, which always plays well in PNC Park. He's a steady pitcher who eats innings (200-plus innings four years in a row). He also has one of the most team-friendly contracts ever concocted _ the Pirates would have control of him for four years. Even better, it's not a four-year deal, it's a two-year deal with two club options. If he fails, the Pirates aren't on the hook for his final two seasons.
I'm not generally in favor of dealing top prospects, but this deal makes sense for the Pirates. It would give them a rotation of Gerrit Cole, Quintana, Ivan Nova and Jameson Taillon for the next three seasons.
It doesn't just make the Pirates better this year, it makes them better for the next two or three seasons as well.
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