Chicago Cubs: 3 players hurt most by shortened season

Jose Quintana

At the time of the trade, it seemed like a good move for both the Cubs and the White Sox, but nearly three years later, Cubs fans would love to reverse the deal that brought Jose Quintana to the North Side.

From 2012 through 2016, Quintana’s first five years with the White Sox, he was great. Over that period, Quintana had a 3.41 ERA, 3.46 FIP, tossed over 200 innings in every season but one, and his 19.2 fWAR was the 12th highest among all MLB starters.

When the Cubs landed the lefty starter in July 2017, fans expected similar production over the three and half years remaining on a team-friendly deal. What they’ve gotten has been much worse.

In 77 starts for the Cubs, Quintana’s posted a 4.23 ERA, 3.98 FIP, and has seen his K-BB% fall considerably. Those are numbers worthy of a middle-of-the-rotation starter, not someone who was dealt for Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease.

As Quintana stares down free agency this winter, teams will struggle to pinpoint the real pitcher he is, just as Cubs fans have for the past three years. Quintana’s shown flashes of brilliance during his time with the Cubs, but he hasn’t performed up to expectations consistently enough to be a front of the rotation starter.

Unfortunately for Quintana, he’ll enter his age 32 season in 2021. Average-but-not-great starting pitchers in their early 30s are one of the groups of free agents who have most suffered over the past few years, typically signing short-term, low-value deals.

This season will be a huge one for Quintana. He’ll have one last chance to show his potential future employers that he can consistently be a top-of-the-rotation starter. Unfortunately for him, he’ll have just half the amount of starts he typically would to show what he’s got.