3 Most Likely Free Agent Destinations for Jose Quintana

The MLB free agency period is here and that means all 30 teams are busy doing what they can to improve their roster. Those looking for starting pitcher upgrades shouldn't have issues finding notable names to help, including veteran lefty Jose Quintana.

Appearing in 32 starts between the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals, Quintana went 6-7 with a 2.93 ERA and 1.213 WHIP. The 33-year-old's ERA and WHIP were both among the best marks of his 11-year career, likely leading to a fair amount of attention on the open market.

Here's a look at the three most like free agent destinations for Quintana this offseason.

Jose Quintana Free Agency

1. Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs fans are desperate for winning baseball. It's been all downhill since the club's 2016 World Series victory and a lack of consistent pitching has played a role, proven by the Cubs finishing 20th or worse in team ERA in each of the last two seasons. Though Quintana isn't ace material, he's still a proven veteran that Chicago can rely on in the back half of the rotation. Besides, after the Cubs allowed 1.29 home runs per nine innings in 2022 (third-worst), they could use the seasoned southpaw who led the MLB with 0.4 HR/9. Besides, Quintana already spent 3.5 seasons with the Cubs during the 2010s, making them a familiar destination.

2. Chicago White Sox

The Cubs aren't the only team that Quintana could have a reunion with. NBC Sports reported back in July that the Chicago White Sox considered making a trade for the Colombian hurler. Even though those rumors didn't amount to a trade, that doesn't mean that the interest won't be there now. After all, the White Sox's starters combined for a 3.89 ERA last season, which was nothing more than average (No. 15) and could use improvement. Quintana had his best seasons with the organization, lasting from 2012 to 2017 — a span that saw him finish 10th in AL Cy Young voting once while earning his sole All-Star appearance. With five more years of experience under his belt, it'd make a great story for Quintana to return to the White Sox to help them end their World Series drought.

3. St. Louis Cardinals

At the end of the day, Quintana could easily decide to remain with the Cardinals. While St. Louis is expected to pursue big-name free agents after coming up short in the playoffs, management could circle back to the lefty due to his affordability. Unlike bigger names such as Jacob deGrom and Carlos Rodon, re-signing Quintana won't come close to breaking the bank. He's also made it clear that he'd be happy to rejoin the Cardinals, even going as far as recommending them as a destination for free-agent catcher Willson Contreras. Quintana is also closer to the end of his career than the start, so staying with the Cardinals while he's still competitive might be the smartest option.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.