Former Mets starter Jose Quintana signing with Brewers

Former New York Mets left-handed starter Jose Quintana is signing a one-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Sep 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets pitcher Jose Quintana (62) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The New York Mets had a decent chance to further bolster their starting pitching depth prior to Opening Day, but the most logical remaining option is now off the board.

On Monday afternoon, the Milwaukee Brewers agreed to a one-year contract with left-handed starting pitcher Jose Quintana, per FanSided's MLB insider Robert Murray.

Free-agent pitcher Jose Quintana and the Milwaukee Brewers are in agreement on a one-year contract, according to sources familiar with the deal.

— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) March 3, 2025

Quintana had strong interest in returning to the Mets, where he spent his past two seasons and posted a 3.18 ERA after the All-Star break last year. The veteran southpaw also posted a 3.14 ERA in the postseason across three starts and 14.1 innings in October.

Quintana, 36, is not a high-velocity type pitcher, but he is still very efficient and is an innings eater which is something the Mets could use with Sean Manaea (oblique strain) and Frankie Montas (lat strain) sidelined to begin the 2025 season.

The Mets discussed the possibility of bringing Quintana back earlier in camp, but are comfortable with their depth and made one move to bring in Jose Ureña on a minor league deal following Manaea's injury.

Read More: Mets sign 10-year veteran José Ureña to minor league deal to help starting rotation

Quintana was initially supposed to start for Colombia in the World Baseball Classic qualifier this week, but opted against it given he remained without a big-league home. Quintana now joins a rotation in Milwaukee that features: Freddy Peralta, Nestor Cortes Jr., Aaron Civale and Tobias Myers and potentially Brandon Woodruff if healthy.

The Mets will likely go with what they have with Opening Day just three weeks away. Their rotation includes Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Clay Holmes, Tylor Megill, Griffin Canning, Paul Blackburn and Ureña. New York could also shift Jose Butto back to the rotation but they want him to serve as a long reliever out of the bullpen.

In the farm system, the Mets have Brandon Sproat, Jonah Tong, Blade Tidwell and Jonathan Pintaro as names to watch on the starting pitching front in 2025.