Colorado Rockies Acquire Pitcher Cal Quantrill in Trade With Cleveland Guardians

Three days after getting designated for assignment by the Cleveland Guardians, starting pitcher Cal Quantrill has been traded to the Colorado Rockies.

The Colorado Rockies have acquired starting pitcher Cal Quantrill in a trade with the Cleveland Guardians, the team announced Friday.

The Guardians designated Quantrill for assignment on Tuesday in the process of finalizing their 40-man roster. Before Quantrill hit waivers, though, the Rockies came calling and sent Cleveland minor league catcher Kody Huff to take the pitcher off their hands.

To make room for Quantrill on their own 40-man roster, Colorado designated right-handed pitcher Tommy Doyle for assignment.

Quantrill had been a mainstay in the Guardians' rotation for the past three seasons, but he took a big step back in 2023. The right-hander finished the year at 4-7 with a 5.24 ERA, 1.465 WHIP, 5.2 strikeouts per nine innings and a -0.1 WAR, all while hitting the injured list twice with shoulder inflammation.

Cleveland first acquired Quantrill from the San Diego Padres in 2020, four years after he got picked No. 8 overall in the MLB Draft. Quantrill was one of six players the Guardians got in exchange for sending starting pitcher Mike Clevinger to San Diego.

From 2020 to 2022, Quantrill worked his way from the bullpen to the starting rotation and thrived along the way. Quantrill went 25-8 with a 3.08 ERA, an 1.196 WHIP and a 6.4 WAR across those three seasons, establishing himself as a valuable arm in the process.

If Quantrill can return to form in 2024, the Rockies will be getting some much-needed support to their pitching staff.

No pitcher who started more than four games for Colorado in 2023 posted an ERA lower than 5.00. The last-place squad in the NL West had the worst ERA, worst WHIP and worst batting average against of any team in baseball.

Quantrill has two more years of team control remaining, and he figures to make a reasonable salary for a potential top-end starter, depending on whether or not he reaches arbitration. The righty made $5.5 million in 2023.

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