Texas Rangers Trade Rumors: Team Working On Chicago White Sox For Jose Quintana

Texas Rangers trade rumors link the team to the Chicago White Sox and starting pitcher Jose Quintana. Acquiring a pitcher like Quintana could certainly improve the starting rotation for the Rangers as Spring Training draws closer. A report by ESPN baseball analyst Nick Ostiller has drawn attention to the situation, with a deal making a lot of sense for both teams.

The White Sox have been involved in quite a few MLB trade rumors this offseason, many of which have included Quintana. The veteran pitcher is available at the right price, but the White Sox also don’t want to just give away. In prior deals this offseason, the White Sox have already traded starting pitcher Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox and outfielder Adam Eaton to the Washington Nationals. Both deals netted the team top-shelf prospects.

It is expected that the White Sox will eventually deal Quintana for more prospects, but it would be hard for the team to match the return packages for Sale and Eaton. Waiting for the right deal to come along seems to be the plan in Chicago, with some analysts feeling that the front office could even wait until the MLB trade deadline in July to pull the trigger.

These Texas Rangers trade rumors don’t include what the time might give up to acquire an All-Star starting pitcher. Joey Gallo and Jurickson Profar are two players who have come up in prior trade discussions, but it quieted down when the Chicago White Sox also asked for Rougned Odor and Nomar Mazara. That package of four players would be far too expensive for any team to pay for Jose Quintana.

During the 2016 MLB season, Quintana pitched 208 innings over 32 starts. He finished with a 13-12 record, a 3.20 ERA, and a 1.163 WHIP. It continued a string of successful seasons he has had since debuting for the White Sox in 2012. Quintana will make $7 million during the 2017 MLB season and then $8.85 million in 2018. Quintana also has a $10.5 million club option for 2019 and an $11.5 million club option for 2020. That works out to $37.85 million over the next four team-controlled seasons.

The latest Texas Rangers depth chart on MLB.com has Cole Hamels, Yu Darvish, Martin Perez, Andrew Cashner, A.J. Griffin, Tyson Ross, and Dillon Gee competing for the five rotation spots. A lot of those players come with question marks, including Cashner, who has been battling through a series of injuries with the San Diego Padres. Bringing in a pitcher like Quintana may be expensive, but he could give stability to another rotation slot.

During the 2016 MLB season, the starting rotation for the Texas Rangers ranked No. 16 in ERA. The rotation was a combined 54-47, with a 4.38 ERA in 921 1/3 innings of work. Opponents posted a 0.260 batting average against them, averaging 7.12 strikeouts per nine innings. The rotation combined for only one complete game, which also ranked among the worst totals in baseball.

Cole Hamels posted a 15-5 record with a 3.32 ERA and 1.31 WHIP, while Yu Darvish posted a 7-5 record, 3.41 ERA, and 1.12 WHIP. The duo led the rotation, but everyone else failed to remain consistent on the mound for the full season. Colby Lewis and Derek Holland, who combined for 39 starts, won’t be returning to the team this year. Lewis is a free agent, and Holland is with the White Sox.

There isn’t a lot of time left until teams start reporting for Spring Training. With the World Baseball Classic also taking place this spring, players will be showing up to get early workouts started. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for the Chicago White Sox to find a trading partner for Jose Quintana, but the latest Texas Rangers trade rumors do indicate that there is a lot of interest in getting a deal done.

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