The Cleveland Guardians clearly need help in their rotation.
Shane Bieber is still a star, but he’s going to miss a big chunk of the season, and it’s never wise to bank on a player to be the same after coming off a major injury.
Tanner Bibee should be their ace early in the campaign, and Luis L. Ortiz is a promising new acquisition.
Also, getting Triston McKenzie back to his former self could be a massive boost for this team.
Then again, they can’t leave anything to chance, and they might want to add another reliable arm while they still can.
With that in mind, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report believes they could and should make a run at veteran LHP Jose Quintana:
“For a team that’s supposed to make the playoffs, Cleveland’s starting rotation is kind of awful. Meanwhile, in 11 career appearances at Progressive Field—most of them during his early days with the White Sox, but just go with it—Quintana has a 1.95 ERA. And at an estimated salary of a little over $8 million, adding him would bring Cleveland’s estimated Opening Day tax payroll to around $124 million,” Miller said.
He’s projected to get a two-year deal worth around $17 million.
He finished last year with a 10-10 record and a 3.75 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and 7.1 strikeouts per nine innings across 170.1 IP.
He doesn’t get as many strikeouts as he did in the past, but he’s always been a consistent and reliable arm that could certainly bolster the middle of this rotation.
More importantly, he could be a team-friendly signing for an organization that rarely spends big bucks or looks to have a hefty payroll.
Signing him to this kind of contract would put their payroll at just around $124 million, which would be $20 million less than they closed last season with.
The Guardians have a stellar bullpen and elite defense, but their rotation is still less than impressive, so this is a move they should strongly consider making.
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