8:59 p.m.: The Cardinals are closing in on a deal to acquire starter José Quintana from the Pirates, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan ( Twitter link ). St. Louis is on the hunt for additions to its starting lineup and is closing in on a deal to add a division rival. Quintana was an obvious candidate for the trade, as he is an impending free agent on a Pittsburgh team with no chance of making the postseason in 2022. The Bucs were sure to move him for some players who could help beyond from this season, and there’s no reason for Pittsburgh to worry about moving to a division opponent. The Cards have been poking around the market for a higher impact weapon, with former Oakland ace Frankie Montas reported as a prime target. Once the A’s dealt Montas to the Yankees, it appears the cards have turned to a lower cost veteran fixer for the back end of the starting staff. Quintana is no longer the upper arm he was in his prime, the pitcher a club would target to start a playoff game. However, he had a decent bounce-back season in Pittsburgh after struggling in 2021. Quintana has made 20 starts for the Pirates, posting a 3.50 ERA. He’s averaging just a hair over five innings per outing, tallying 103 frames on the season. The sheltered role — in which Pittsburgh limited his exposure to opposing lineups for the third time in the start — has helped the veteran southpaw, but his production has been solid at a contributor level. Quintana’s 20.6% is a bit below average, but he has produced swinging strikes on a solid 11.2% of his pitches. He’s also produced groundouts in a slightly above-average 45% of batters — a trait that appealed to the Cards’ front office in light of the team’s strong infield defense — and has walked just 7.2% of opponents. The addition of Quintana addresses a rotation that has been hit with two notable injuries in recent weeks. Jack Flaherty will be out until at least August after renewed concerns. Meanwhile, offseason signee Steven Matz tore the MCL in his left knee and could miss the rest of the season. While he hasn’t been officially ruled out for the year, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak recently told St. John’s Derrick Gould. Louis Post-Dispatch that it would be “very, very difficult” to get him back on a mound in 2022. The Cardinals add Quintana to a rotation that also includes Adam Wainwright, Dakota Hudson, Miles Mikolas and rookie Andre Pallante. The Cards have Matthew Liberatore as their depth option, but he has bounced around the active roster all year. Pallante, meanwhile, has spent a good chunk of the season in the bullpen. Even with a promising late-season return from Flaherty, the Cardinals could still be looking for another rotation pickup besides Quintana. It’s an affordable play for the Cardinals, as the 33-year-old is guaranteed just $2 million this season. The final months of this deal won’t have much of an impact on St. Louis’ payroll. Louis for the rest of the year. More to come.
