Should the Chicago Cubs pick up the Jose Quintana team option?

The Chicago Cubs hold an $11.5 million option on pitcher Jose Quintana for 2020, or they can pay a $1 million buyout. Should they bring him back?

The Chicago Cubs put a lot of stock in Jose Quintana when they traded for him from the Chicago White Sox during the 2017 season. Not only did they give up two premium prospects for him in Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease, but they also counted on him being a part of their rotation for a long time, as at the time of the trade he was under long-term, team-friendly control.

As we now know, it hasn’t worked out as well as we’d hoped. While Quintana pitched like a number two starter with the White Sox, since joining the Cubs he’s regressed into more of a number four type.

Had he pitched with the Cubs as well as he did with the White Sox, picking up his $11.5 million option would have been an easy decision. Instead, there should at least be some question regarding whether the Cubs will make Quintana part of their 2020 plans.

So, as Quintana enters his age 31 season in 2020, should the Cubs pick up his option? Let’s look at the arguments both for and against it.