Nationals and Red Sox Reportedly Interested in José Quintana
Chicago White Sox pitcher José Quintana may have struggled early on this season, but it's safe to say that he remains one of the hottest targets in the trade market.
According to CBS Chicago's Bruce Levine, the Washington Nationals and the Boston Red Sox are still interested in acquiring Quintana.
"The Nationals and Red Sox have had some of their top talent evaluators watching Quintana and other White Sox players recently," Levine said in his report.
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Interestingly, both teams have done business with the White Sox last December, and their interest in Quintana is a little surprising, to say the least.
The Red Sox already have a solid starting pitcher in former White Sox Chris Sale and David Price should be back soon. Eduardo Rodriguez is also doing well this season.
Meanwhile, the Nationals actually have a solid rotation right now with Max Scherzer and Gio Gonzalez leading the way. Stephen Strasburg and Tanner Roark have been great as well.
In any case, both teams may like the idea of adding another starting pitcher.
Quintana has struggled to a 2–5 record with a 4.38 earned run average so far this season, but he is under team control through the 2020 season, so he remains an interesting option for clubs that are looking for a starting pitcher with a team-friendly contract. He has been playing much better lately, though.
Still, acquiring Quintana is going to be difficult if the White Sox refuse to lower their asking price. Especially when their farm systems are depleted right now after their respective deals with the White Sox last December.
Outside Pitch MLB's Tim Boyle doesn't even think the Nationals have the assets to obtain Quintana if they refuse to include outfielder prospect Victor Robles in a trade. Some observers have also noted that the Nationals should go after White Sox closer David Robertson instead since they already have a solid group of pitchers.
