Chicago Cubs: 5 questions demanding answers, and quickly

2. Will José Quintana convincingly prove he was worth the haul?

Last season, Theo Epstein and the Cubs made yet another splash by landing José Quintana from the Chicago White Sox. In that deal, remember, the Cubs gave up four prospects, including Eloy Jimenez. The deal also included pitcher Dylan Cease, first baseman Matt Rose and infielder Bryan Flete.

Out of those four, obviously the big name given up was Jimenez. So far, Quintana has had some outstanding outings in his first calendar year with the Cubs. He has also made us all shake our heads in dismay. So, for what it’s worth, will Quintana finally settle in and prove he was worth the haul?

I am not saying he wasn’t necessarily worth it, but when you acquire a guy like Quintana, you expect great things. You expect him to be borderline lights-out when making a blockbuster trade like that.

Just a few days ago, we saw Quintana give up six runs in three innings pitched to the rival St. Louis Cardinals. Yet, two weeks prior, Quintana went six innings and pitched a shutout while giving up just a trio of hits.

Back in June, Quintana struck out 10 in just over five innings pitched against the Phillies.

Check this out: Quintana has given up six or more runs on four different occasions this year. At the same time, he has also pitched shutout baseball on six occasions, but only once in his last two months.

Quintana has been the epitome of a rollercoaster this season. You never quite know what you’re going to get with him. Come playoff time, the Cubs need him at his best. They need consistency. If a World Series is coming once more to the North side, Quintana is going to be a big part of it.