Thursday, December 22, 2016

My Thoughts on the “Turned Down” Jose Quintana Deal


The New York Yankees need starting pitching and reportedly the team has had at least preliminary discussions with the Chicago White Sox regarding that very topic. The Yankees are interested in Chicago White Sox southpaw and former New York farmhand Jose Quintana. New York is so interested that apparently, according to a “source” anyway, the Yankees recently turned down a deal proposed by the White Sox for Quintana. The deal would have included Luis Severino, Jorge Mateo and Clint Frazier for the Yankees while Chicago sent Quintana and his four years of team control back to the Bronx. Here are my thoughts on the Yankees turning down this deal.

First and foremost, damn that’s a lot. The Yankees would send two of their top five prospects (arguably) to the White Sox including one of the top prospects in all of Major League Baseball along with a young pitcher in Luis Severino for Quintana. That’s a ton but as I’ve said many times this offseason the White Sox are not in the business of losing trades. Look at the Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox for Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech and two others trade as an example of that.

Now I know what you’re thinking, I think the Chicago White Sox are crazy for asking for that from the Yankees for Quintana. Well, you’re right. I do think they are crazy but honestly if and when they trade Quintana this offseason they are going to get a comparable package from whatever team acquires him. Why shouldn’t that team be the Yankees?

Sure, losing Mateo hurts but the team has Gleyber Torres. Sure, losing Frazier really hurts but when you are acquiring the type of talent you are in Quintana you can bite the bullet. Losing Severino really hurts in my eyes because I truly think the Severino we saw in 2015 is the version of Severino we will see going forward and not the 2016 version that struggled and refused to work on his secondary pitches. Why do I think that? I have no idea, I just do. It’s my opinion. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t give up Severino for Quintana though.

I truly hope the Yankees find a way to get this done. Yes, I realize I am freaking some people out right now. The self-professed “prospect humper” is suggesting trading away two of the top five prospects in the Yankees system. The prospect humper also wants to make the postseason in 2017 and the World Series as soon as 2018. I want my cake and I want to eat it too and with the farm system that the Yankees have assembled I truly believe they can do that with this Quintana trade.


Pull the trigger. 

15 comments:

  1. "are acquiring the type of talent you are in Quintana", your kidding, right?

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    1. I don't think he is. Quintana has been a top 10 pitcher statistically for the last 2 or 3 years. Pair somebody like him with Tanaka at the top of the rotation, and we have something. I think it's worth giving up Frazier, Mateo, and Severino. Frazier stings a little. But we still have Judge, Fowler, and Rutherford to soften that blow. Not only might Mateo never develop, we have countless middle infield prospects in our system making him somewhat of a redundancy. (Kind of like Gardner and Ellsbury are now)And Severino might be a head case for the rest of his career. I know he's young and could develop into a frontline starter, but I'd rather go with 4 years of a sure thing than 5 years of an unknown.

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    2. Levin Frazier is off limits for me. Start with Judge and Mateo and work your way down the list. No Frazier or Rutherford Torres and remember the idiot Cashman gave up on this guy once already.

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    3. I would totally offer Judge instead of Frazier. No problem there at all. But, if Frazier is what it takes, I'd make the deal. As far as Cashman giving up on him, there's no surprise there. You and I can both agree that Cashman couldn't evaluate talent if he was sitting in the dugout at an all star game.

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    4. Russell,

      10th most innings pitched in MLB in 2016.
      22nd most K's in MLB in 2016.
      11th highest WAR right above Rick Porcello who won the Cy Young in 2016.
      25th best WHIP
      20th best ERA
      50 walks allowed all season long.

      He's been one of the better and most durable innings eaters in all of baseball at the top of the rotation. You're getting four years of team control for prospects. Unknowns, unproven and not a sure thing.

      I obviously am not alone in my thinking of how talented he is. Wait till he gets traded, you'll see another team thought so highly as well.

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    5. Levin I love the line about sitting in the dugout. That is a classic and one for the ages at least for me..

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  2. Although Jose Quintana is left handed I wonder how he would do with the Yankees pitching in the "Beast of the East"?
    I don't agree with the guy being a #2 pitcher! I would trade for him but not with what they want for him.
    He has been a 50% pitcher, a hit per inning, going 6.2 innings as an average on the questionable side.
    He is left handed, good HR% per (0.80 ?), has the pitches a starter needs, is a plus!

    I just don't see him in the higher group of game changers. I wouldn't give them Frazier, Severino! Even though G. Torres may end up at 3rd and Mateo in center field I would rather have Frazier, Mateo and Rutherford in the outfield over a 50% pitcher.
    Ok, it is the Future, not the Now, one 50% pitcher may give us a chance for a few more wins now, but I would go for going deep into the October games in the near future...target of 2018.

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  3. I'm not sure where you're coming up with stats supporting your theory of him not being a number #2 pitcher Reed. He's been a top 10 pitcher for 2 years now. That's not bad for a guy that's only 28 years old with 4 years of team control at an extremely team friendly price. I think Frazier alone is a king's ransom, but that's the price for a top pitcher. By the way, those stats I speak of come from Baseball Reference in case you wanted to check.

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    1. One more note Reed. Let's not turn our noses up at the AL Central. They've sent a team to the World Series for 3 years straight now.

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    2. Jeff, don't get your skirt in a bunch, "The beast of the East" is just a name given to the East a few years ago.
      In case you want to check the stats on Jose Quintana yourself, he hasn't got outstanding numbers at all a 46 and 46 win/loss record and all his other numbers don't show me a thing...for what they want in trade.
      My opinion! You are welcome to yours also!

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    3. Jeff, I would trade for him but, not with those named. He would fit in the rotation very well!

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    4. Reed, I don't have to get my skirt in a bunch. You say he's not a front of the rotation guy, statistics say he is. His stats are damn near identical to Tanaka's. He's a front of the rotation guy. If you want that type of pitcher, you have to give up those types of prospects. Everybody here said that they want a young controllable pitcher and the you balk at the price. Did you really think that Gardner was going to get a pitcher like Quintana?

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    5. Jeff, you are right, we do need a pitcher like Jose Quintana but, I have a problem with a pitcher that can't win more games than he loses.
      We have another guy that can put up great numbers...Michael Pineda, then his head gets lost in the clouds somewhere and he gives up a hit at the wrong time.
      Tank does the same thing at times, I watch him pitch and can see him giving up a game-losing hit. If one watches him close you can damn near see it coming. His whole persona changes and he puts one in there for the game-winning hit.
      I'm sorry I disagree with all of you but we don't need another Pineda or Tank.
      We do need the talent they have but, why not keep the talent for another year and give some of the many pitchers we have a year to prove they also can pitch well enough to help the Yankees win?
      We have some talented pitchers that haven't had a real chance to put up (and learn) in the "Big Show", everyone says to give the kids a chance...ok, let's do it!
      We do need a players Manager that will let the kids play...not Joe G!

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  4. I think that there will be no big trades this offseason by the Yankees. I think Quintanna goes to Pirates, Rangers or Houston. I really don't think the Yankees will drop big names on a pitcher like this until at least next year when a lot of our bigger pieces fall into place and we know the plan. He's waiting and stacking and when we have expendable players and a lot great players already in the MLB (and the market for selling is not so high) he will pull the trigger on a big trade on all the prospects left and get the big sale type player to put the Yankees over the top

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)