In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.
Just when Pittsburgh Pirates fans were nearly lulled back to an off-season’s slumber, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal gave them a true wake-up call.
Sources: #WhiteSox engaged in daily trade discussions on Quintana. #Pirates, #Astros involved, possibly others. #Yankees appear longshot.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 4, 2017
Yes, the Jose Quintana rumors are alive and well, after nearly two weeks of nary a peep from either side. Some of that could be attributed to the customary holiday lull, of course.
It is nonetheless encouraging to see that the Pittsburgh Pirates have not moved on from acquiring one of the premier left-handed starting pitchers in the game. If you need a reminder as to how good Quintana has been to this point in his career, here’s a refresher:
The Price Didn’t Get Any Lower
Sources add: #WhiteSox firm on Quintana’s value; also could move him at deadline. NYY seem less willing than others to move top prospects.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 4, 2017
Rosenthal’s second tweet should come as no surprise to anyone who has followed the White Sox rebuild. After taking the Washington Nationals for a ride, the White Sox already have three of the top ten right-handed pitching prospects in baseball. Tyler Glasnow would make three, slotting in alongside Lucas Giolito, Michael Kopech and Reynaldo Lopez. The Pale Hose have expertly gone about their rebuild to this point, so one cannot blame them for getting greedy.
Will the Pittsburgh Pirates pay that price? Tough to say. I believe that the fact that they are still in it speaks volumes. As we’ve written before, it would take a huge philosophical shift in the organization to part with the prospect package needed to land a left-hander of Quintana’s caliber with four years of control.
Many believe that a potential deal will now hinge on Josh Bell. Will the Pirates be willing to give up Bell, after giving him a $5 million signing bonus and switching him to first base? With Austin Meadows in tow, one could easily see the club shifting gears.
Moving third base prospect Will Craig over to first base – which many scouts predict will be his ultimate destination – now would allow the team to use David Freese at first base more until Craig is ready. With Meadows set to make his debut sometime in the next two seasons, it might be a tough ask of the club to live with Bell’s defense at first because there was no spot for him in the outfield. In that light, he might be more available than one would think.
From the White Sox perspective, Bell at first base – while still a project – would provide a safety net should they decide to also deal Jose Abreu.
No matter the scenario that one dreams up, if the Pittsburgh Pirates can land Quintana, it would go a long way towards pulling their rotation in line with other National League contenders.
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Baseball Talk on the Web
- FanGraphs tells us how Mike Trout can legally become a free agent.
- Jason Linden of The Hardball Times has a touching story on how baseball helped him get through a rouge period.
- Call to the Pen reviews potential landing spots for the aforementioned Jose Abreu.
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