José Quintana

At 35 years old, José Quintana has this physical status:

Professional career

Quintana was born in 1976 as a world free agent with the New York Mets and began his career in the Rookie-level Venezuelan Summer League (VSL), pitching for the VSL Mets in 2006. He did not play in 2007 because he was suspended for breaching Minor League Baseball's drug policy.

In 2008, Quintana signed with the New York Yankees. He appeared in the DSL Yankees' Rookie-level Dominican Summer League (DSL) in 2008. In 2010, he pitched for the Gulf Coast Yankees of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League and the Charleston RiverDogs of the Class A South Atlantic League. Quintana's 2011 victory-loss record and a 2.91 earned run average (ERA), as well as 88 strikeouts in 102 innings pitched for the Tampa Yankees of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League (FSL). Since the 2011 season, he was a minor league free agent.

Daraka Shaheed and Joe Siers, the team's scouts who watched Quintana pitch in the FSL last season, recommended that the team sign him. Quintana signed with the White Sox, earning a major league contract on November 10, 2011. Quintana was assigned by the White Sox to the Birmingham Barons of the Class AA Southern League.

After starting the season with a 1–2 win–loss record, a 3.06 ERA, and 26 strikeouts in 35 innings pitched for Birmingham, the White Sox promoted Quintana to the majors on May 7, 2012, in accordance with a new MLB rule that allowed teams to carry a 26th man on their 25-man roster on the day of a doubleheader. In the first game of the doubleheader, he made his MLB debut by throwing 5+2/3 innings in relief, allowing no runs, one hit, and two walks when striking out three runs. Quintana was recalled back to Birmingham the next day and stayed there until May 24, when he was promoted to the Charlotte Knights of the Class AAA International League. However, he did not pitch there because he was promoted to Chicago the next day after John Danks was placed on the 15-day IL. Quintana's first Major League victory was his first victory over the Cleveland Indians pitching six innings, giving up two runs on four hits, walking three, and striking out four runs out of four.

Quintana was ejected by umpire Mark Wegner after throwing a pitch behind Ben Zobrist during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 30, 2012. Quintana had played in 25 games during the 2012 season, with 22 games total and a 3.76 ERA.

Quintana pitched 200 innings in 33 starts, going 9--7 with 164 strikeouts and a 3.51 ERA in 2013. His 17 no decisions were the most among MLB starting pitchers in 2013. Quintana signed a five-year contract with the White Sox on March 24, 2014, which also includes club options for a further two years. After the 2014 season, he qualified as a "Super 2" arbitration eligible player, triggering a provision in his agreement that made the contract worth a guaranteed $26.5 million. Quintana made 32 starts in 42 innings, with 178 strikeouts and a 3.32 ERA in 200+1 13%. With 177 strikeouts in 206+1/3 innings in 2015, he maintained his record of 3.36 ERA and 9-10 records, as well as 9-10. He led all major league pitchers in curveball percentages (30.9%) in the 2009 season.

Quintana pitched to a 7-08 record in 117+223 innings pitched during the All-Star break in 2016. Danny Salazar was brought to the MLB All-Star Game as a health substitute. He finished the season 13-12 with a 3.20 ERA, striking out 181 batters against a batter despite making 32 starts. Quintana finished tied for tenth in the American League Cy Young Award's polling, with Michael Fulmer receiving a fifth place vote.

In the 2017 World Baseball Classic, Quintana pitched for the Colombian national baseball team. The White Sox named him their Starting pitcher for the 2017 season on Opening Day.

The White Sox traded Quintana to the Chicago Cubs for prospects Eloy Jiménez, Dylan Cease, Matt Rose, and Bryant Flete on July 13, 2017. In an 8–0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles, he got off to a good start for the Cubs on July 16, striking out 12 out of 12 in his first appearance for the team. Quintana struggled in August, throwing six home runs in 33 innings pitched and six runs in two of the games he started, but in September, he had a 2.51 ERA in five starts. He was 11-11 with a 4.15 ERA in 2017 and was on the same team as the two teams.

In 32 starts for the Cubs in 2018, Quintana had a 13-11 record and a 4.03 ERA. He began the 2018 National League Central tie-breaker game in which the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Cubs. The Cubs used Quintana's $10.5 million contract option for the 2019 season.

Quintana's ERA hit a record of 4–1 in August 2019 with a 2.02 ERA. He was 13-9 for a 4.68 ERA in 2019.

Quintana underwent surgery to repair a laced nerve in his throwing arm, which he suffered while washing dishes in July 2020. He pitched ten innings in the season, with a 4.50 ERA.

Quintana's one-year, $8 million deal with the Angels began on January 22, 2021. Due to shoulder pain, he was put on the 10-day injured list on May 31. On June 21, he was activated from the injured list and made his return against the San Francisco Giants the next day, but he was moved to the bullpen in the process. Quintana struggled for the Angels, resulting in an 0–3 record and 73 strikeouts in 24 appearances.

Quintana was claimed by the San Francisco Giants on August 30, 2021, off the waivers. Quintana made five appearances for the Giants, resulting in a 4.66 ERA with 12 strikeouts. He was scheduled for transfer on September 30, he was announced for assignment. Quintana's free agency was officially launched on October 15, which was a surprise.

The Pittsburgh Pirates agreed Quintana to a one-year contract worth $2 million on November 29, 2021. Quintana earned his first game with the team on May 9, pitching six scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers, knocking out five runs. He had four no decisions and a loss in his first five games as a Pirate. In the next game against the division rival Reds, he tossed seven scoreless innings, but the team was denied another no decision because he was on the field. He had a 2.00 ERA in 27 innings pitched in May, winning out 21, and going 1-1 for the month.

Quintana posted a 3.70 ERA and a 2–1 record in six starts in June, posting victories against the New York Yankees and the Miami Marlins on July 5, with six scoreless and four out four in the later game.

He and Chris Stratton were traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Malcom Nez and Johan Oviedo after a scoreless match against the Philadelphia Phillies on July 29. At this point in the season, he had a 3.50 ERA.

In the second game of a double-header at Busch Stadium on August 4, he made his Cardinal debut on August 4 in a second game of a double-header, tossing six innings of one-run baseball and striking out seven runs out of seven runs. He was charged with another no decision, but St. Louis took the game 7–2. In his first game against the Colorado Rockies, he won his first match with the team. He ended August with a 3.38 ERA for the month, a 1–1 record, and 20 strikeouts in 29 innings pitched. Quintana won his first game of the month against the Washington Nationals on September 6, and then continued his march against the Cincinnati Reds on September 17. Quintana had a 0.89 ERA in five starts in September, pitching 30 innings, striking out 28 runs when walking just three times, and only allowed three earned runs during the entire month.

Quintana finished with a career-best 2.93 percent strike out 137 out of 32 games played, the majority of which began in 2022. Quintana was a member of the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series. He pitched 5+13 scoreless innings, striking out 3, and walking just one. However, he was charged with another no-decision as long as the Cardinals starting pitcher Zack Wheeler occupied the Cardinals' scoreless.

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