The Chicago White Sox’s starting rotation could benefit from a trade for an old friend.
The Chicago White Sox have the 15th best ERA among all major league pitching staffs heading into Saturday’s game. Unfortunately, that’s where the good news ends for them.
In terms of WHIP, walks per nine, hits per nine, and home runs per nine, the starters are ranked 23rd, 28th, 14th, and 16th, respectively. Overall, it’s a mediocre showing from a team that has built itself up to have one of the best starting rotations in the league.
Injuries could be a contributing factor. Because Lance Lynn has thrown a pitch for them all year, the team has given Vince Velasquez a chance to start on a regular basis. Dallas Keuchel, on the other hand, continues to get his chances. After a quick scan of the league, it appears that an old friend will be available in a trade this summer to help the rotation.
Jose Quintana’s return to the White Sox could be beneficial to both parties
From 2012 to mid-2017, Jose Quintana spent parts of six seasons with the White Sox before being traded to the Chicago Cubs. Quintana was not a star in his early days with the White Sox, but he was as reliable a mid-rotation arm as you could ask for. His ERA ranged from 3.20 to 3.76 in his first five seasons, and he improved year after year. From 2013 to 2016, he also pitched 200 innings or more for the White Sox each season.
Quintana in this form would not be the version the White Sox could hope for in 2022. Since leaving them, he has battled injuries and has been far less consistent. Those days are no longer with us.
Quintana, on the other hand, has emerged as one of the most intriguing trade stories of the summer. He’s now with the Pittsburgh Pirates on a one-year, $2 million contract, and he’s as cheap as they come.
Quintana is 1-2 with a 2.15 ERA in nine starts for the Pirates. He isn’t obnoxious in any way. That was never his way of doing things. Quintana, like Mark Buehrle, left an indelible mark on the White Sox. Quintana is simply the next generation’s version of an innings eater in Major League Baseball.
The White Sox have consistently played around.500 baseball at their best. They have a lot more issues than just the starting five, but a lot of their losses are due to the pitching losing control early in the game. Quintana would not be held for a large ransom by the pirates. After all, they signed him specifically to trade him before the deadline. The White Sox, who are in desperate need of starting pitchers, would be a perfect match.
