As the regular season draws near, the Cardinals have had their fair share of rumors: Yadier Molina’s contract extension, Kolten Wong’s trade talks, and now, it seems the Cardinals may be a dark horse team in the Jose Quintana sweepstakes.
While the Cardinals lost pitcher Alex Reyes to season-ending Tommy John surgery, they’re currently set with the starting rotation, with Carlos Martinez becoming the ace of the staff.
However, the Cardinals could look to add Quintana to bolster a staff that collectively had a 4.08 ERA last season.
Quintana, 27, went 13-12 with a 3.20 ERA. He could fit right in if Michael Wacha’s struggles from last season continue or if Mike Leake doesn’t improve on his 9-12 campaign. While the Cardinals don’t want to see either of those scenarios unfold, one would think a pitcher like Quintana would help elevate a pitching staff and add much needed depth to a team looking to keep pace with the likes of the Chicago Cubs.
Odds are the Cardinals wouldn’t opt to go the way of a six-man rotation, but it’s always intriguing to see how a pitcher of this caliber would fit with the team. Recent reports have stated the White Sox unwillingness to part ways with Quintana until closer to the trade deadline, and a lot can happen between now and then.
The big question is: What would it take to pry him away from the South side of Chicago?
The Cardinals have a relatively deep farm system, and outside of Alex Reyes, how many of their prospects would be deemed untouchable in a trade?
With the recent developments in Molina’s contract talks, would Catcher-of-the-future Carson Kelly be the cornerstone of a trade for Quintana? If the terms of the extension are as they’ve been reported, Kelly would have another three years to wait before assuming a full-time role, and he is seen as the best catcher in the minors. It might be worth it to dangle Kelly as trade bait and see what the White Sox are willing to take.
One would think that additional pieces would be required and the Cardinals aren’t short on rising prospects as Spring Training showed. After having good springs, Harrison Bader and Paul DeJong could also be included in this hypothetical trade.
The White Sox got a king’s ransom for Adam Eaton and Chris Sale, so it’s a wonder what the Cardinals would ultimately have to part ways with. Only time will tell.
If you’re the Cardinals front office, do you make this trade?
