Chicago Cubs should trade Jose Quintana before the season starts

With little impactful pitching talent left on the free agent market, the Chicago Cubs should look to move veteran left-hander Jose Quintana.

Throughout the current offseason, rumors surrounding the Chicago Cubs trading some of their star players have run rampant.

These have included the likes of trading Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber and Willson Contreras, all of whom are key pieces that construct the puzzle that is the Cubs’ core. Recently, starting pitcher Jose Quintana has also found himself in the middle of trade discussions.

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There are many reasons why trading Quintana would make sense for the Chicago ballclub. As the number of free agent starting pitchers left is dwindling, many teams are looking towards making trades as a means of acquiring a starter.

In fact, on Sunday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported that seven or more teams could be looking for quality starters. For a team looking for a short-term, low-cost quality starter, Quintana could be a good fit. And given the figures that short-term low cost starters made in free agency, Quintana could bring in a decent haul, as well.

Along with that idea, the front office has made it abundantly clear that the team doesn’t have money to spend. It’s rather difficult for a team to contend without funds, but there are ways to do it and one of those ways is through trading. The bottom line is trading Quintana would get the team’s payroll under the luxury tax threshold and would open a roster spot and a rotation spot. Who knows, maybe a young arm, including the likes of Adbert Alzolay could be brought up and given a shot in 2020.

In addition, trading Quintana would cut the payroll, and would ensure a return for him before he becomes a free agent. Since the Cubs picked up the 30-year-old’s $10.5 million team option for 2020, this upcoming season marks the final year of his deal. That salary was reasonable for Quintana, despite the fact that he simply hasn’t lived up to his potential on the North Side.

To our dismay, the southpaw performed better with the White Sox. While this makes it sound like Quintana was a bust, he still proved himself to be a durable fourth starter for the Cubs. Last season, though, things really weren’t up to standard as he turned in a 4.68 ERA – well above his career mark of 3.72.

The story for Quintana in a Cubs uniform has been pretty simple: inconsistency. For example, the starter posted a 2.02 ERA in six August starts, followed by an 11.09 ERA in five September outings.

The offseason is far from over, and the Chicago Cubs have a lot of work to do if they want to contend in 2020. With that being said, given the team’s current circumstances, trading Jose Quintana is be a step in the right direction.