White Sox: Houston Astros Remain Interested in Jose Quintana
By Matt Manetti
Houston still needs a pitcher and remain interested in Jose Quintana. This isn’t the first time the White Sox spoke to the Astros about the lefty.
The Chicago White Sox may still have a shot at moving prized pitcher Jose Quintana if they wish. The Houston Astros remain in talks with the organization Bob Nightengale tweets. However it doesn’t appear Rick Hahn is backing off his price which could complicate a deal.
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That’s because Houston has options. Nightengale reports they are also considering Chris Archer and Sonny Gray. However, Peter Gammons tweets he was told no when he asked if Gray would end up in Houston. That is good news for the White Sox as it would indicate the Astros my only have Archer and Quintana as options.
During the winter meetings the two teams engaged in talks around the left hander. Gammons tweeted at the time the White Sox asked for Francis Martes, Kyle Tucker and Joe Musgrove. Musgrove is coming off his first season in the bigs while Martes and Tucker are Houston’s top two prospects according to mlbpipeline.com.
That would be another huge haul for Rick Hahn but Houston balked at the idea of giving away so much. What could finally lead to a tipping point is the team is under no pressure to move their new ace. He remains under an extremely team-friendly contract and still provides them with a ton of value. Carlos Rodon isn’t an ace yet, so in the interim, they need someone atop their rotation. And that could end up being the main reason they keep him.
Bruce Levine reported teams were actually stepping up their offer for Quintana earlier this week. Perhaps Hahn and his team just need some time to sort everything out and decide which deal gives them the biggest bang. Levine did note as well the White Sox were in no rush to move him. That could also help the organization’s efforts because other teams may realize they need to make them an offer they can’t refuse in order to pry him away.
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Right now it’s all just speculation but no one knows if Quintana will really be traded. If he is, experts agree it will be prior to spring training. However, no one really knows for sure. With no reports of significant talks between the White Sox and another club, it might be safe to assume we’ll see No. 62 pitching for us this upcoming season. After all, that wouldn’t be the worst thing for this organization.