Mets' José Quintana Eager To Rejoin Team That Gave Him His Start

José Quintana began his professional career in 2006 as a prospect in the Mets organization. He’ll finally get to pitch for New York in 2023.

Long before José Quintana became a major league mainstay, he began his career as a prospect in the Mets’ system.

The Colombian right-hander was just 17 when he pitched for the Venezuelan Summer League Mets in 2006. But a violation of Minor League Baseball’s drug policy led to a suspension and Quintana’s release in 2007, and he didn’t play at all that year.

Quintana spent minor league time with the Yankees and White Sox organizations before debuting with Chicago in 2012. He’s played for a total of six teams over 11 seasons since, but he’s never appeared in a game for the Mets.

Barring anything unforeseen, that will change in 2023 after the southpaw inked a two-year, $26 million contract with the Mets last week. The full-circle feeling is not lost on the 33-year-old Quintana, who called signing with New York a “special moment” for him and his family.

"I'm really excited to be a part of this team,” he said Wednesday during an introductory Zoom call. “Thank you [GM] Billy [Eppler], thank you Mets organization, to give me this opportunity where everything started for me as a kid.”

Quintana enjoyed some strong seasons with the White Sox in his 20s – including an All-Star campaign in 2016 – but regression followed him across The Windy City when he was traded to the Cubs during the 2017 season.

He remained in Chicago through the 2020 season before spending 2021 with the Angels and Giants.

But Quintana enjoyed a revival with the Pirates and Cardinals last year, recording a 2.93 ERA over 32 starts. He pitched to the tune of a 2.01 ERA following a midseason trade to St. Louis and added 5.1 scoreless innings in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card round.

All in all, Quintana owns a 3.75 ERA, 1,532 strikeouts and 504 walks over 1,723.2 career innings.

In addition to his rebound season, Quintana’s left-handedness made him attractive to the Mets. Their rotation, which also features Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Carlos Carrasco and Kodai Senga, is primarily right-handed.

"It's kind of a separator, but it's not any kind of internal mandate that we carry into the wintertime and say that we have to walk [away] with a left-handed starter,” Eppler explained. “It's nice to provide variability and be able to attack opponents in different ways."

Eppler noted that Quintana’s demeanor and experience were more important factors.

"That's what drove us there,” Eppler said, “more than the hand he throws with."