Cleveland Baseball Insider

Guardians Could Make Bold Move for Former Rival Pitcher

The Cleveland Guardians are being urged to sign this former rival pitcher in MLB free agency.
Matthew Schmidt|
Sep 28, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Jose Quintana (62) pitches in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Sep 28, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Jose Quintana (62) pitches in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

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Cleveland Guardians

The Cleveland Guardians have been busy this offseason, but they really haven't improved the roster.

The same holes the Guardians had this past year still exist, most notably in the starting rotation. Yes, Cleveland did swing a trade for Luis Ortiz, but he is largely unproven as a starter, and Shane Bieber's health remains a question mark.

So, could the Guardians still make a splash by signing one of the leftover pitchers in MLB free agency?

James Mastrucci of Away Back Gone has offered an intriguing suggestion: Jose Quintana.

Cleveland is obviously very familiar with Quintana from his Chicago White Sox days, and he likely presents one of the best affordable options remaining on the open market.

"Cleveland could use a known commodity to insert into their rotation, and Quintana would certainly qualify as one," Mastrucci wrote. "As of now, the Guardians can only truly count on Tanner Bibee, with the rest of their possible starters being considered question marks. This could prove to be a problem for their hopes of repeating as American League Central Champions and advancing further in the postseason."

Quintana spent the 2024 campaign with the New York Mets, going 10-10 with a 3.75 ERA while allowing 150 hits and registering 135 strikeouts over 170.1 innings of work. His 4.56 FIP was concerning, but his 1.250 WHIP was actually a notch below his career average.

The 36-year-old is certainly no longer the All-Star-caliber hurler he was during his time with the White Sox nearly a decade ago, but he is a very viable candidate to help the Guardians' ailing rotation.

Quintana owns a lifetime 3.74 ERA and, for the most part, has been fairly durable.

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Matthew Schmidt
MATTHEW SCHMIDT

Matthew Schmidt is a sportswriter who covers NFL, MLB, NBA and college football and basketball. He has been writing professionally since 2011 and has also worked for Bleacher Report, FanRag Sports, ClutchPoints, NFLAnalysis.net and NBAAnalysis.net. He was born and raised in New Jersey and has a rather eclectic group of favorite teams: the Boston Celtics, New York Giants and Miami Marlins.

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