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CHICAGO – This is one of those conversations that Chicago baseball fans will have for years to come. left-handed Jose Quintana?
Radio and sports bars in Chicago often think that the Sox will reap the benefits for years to come. looks as a player once in a generation. But here's the thing: Cubs receive the benefits now, and their window to win is in the present.
"These last two [starts] are at a different level of Q, "Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of Quintana after the team's 3-0 home win against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday.
Quintana has won the biggest victory so far for the team he's played on since July 2017, after years of throwing for the White Sox, who are not in the running. Quintana threw 6 innings, giving only three hits and no heat on Tuesday. He lowered his ERA to less than 4.00 for the first time since July 22.
He launches his best baseball exactly when his team needs it the most. The win prevented the Brewers from tying the Cubs to first place in the Central League. It was so big.
"There is a very confident look on him," said Maddon. "It's a very humble man, so you really have to look in there."
Maddon is right. There is not much flair for the Quintana match – which could be the opposite of Jimenez's, who hit .355 with a .0597 percentage at Triple-A this season. Jimenez has already written a Player Tribune article and he could very well be destined for greatness at the major leagues level.
But when the Cubs traded for Quintana, they had a great need in their rotation. No matter what Jimenez or Cease do, no one can take away what Quintana has already meant to the Cubs. He could very well contribute to two playoff appearances with his new team before these two hopes even sniff the majors. This is not a small thing. In fact, that's all.
"I do not worry about the trade," said Quintana putting on his shoes after Tuesday's game. "If I do good or bad, I try to focus on my work."
This does not mean that he is not aware of it. After all, the Cubs and White Sox winning a mid-season blockbuster are not exactly an annual event.
"I know how huge this trade was," Quintana said. "Of course, I want to do well."
This is a subject mainly because of two things: how Jimenez looks good and that Quintana was not as consistent as it was with the White Sox. Until now at least But the Cubs knew what they were selling when they concluded the deal. And they knew that the reduction of Quintana – he was earning only $ 8.85 million this year – was part of the attraction. In addition, his contract provides options for the next two seasons.
In the end, without the agreement, who knows where the Cubs would be on the mound now. It's not like they're developing starting pitchers at every turn. Even with Quintana, they signed half a dozen free weapons last winter.
"To be honest, we never look at this stuff," Cubs teammate Pedro Strop said of the trade. "We do not waste our time, we try to have fun and play our game."
Critics will mention several bad exits Quintana, as his departure in August, where he granted a total of 10 points earned. But since then, he has allowed only six points in his last five appearances, including Tuesday. The trade could have been profitable here. The Cubs desperately needed what Quintana had provided them.
"I'm trying to do my best," Quintana said. "As I said, I know how huge this trade was, I hope it's [Jimenez] does good, but I'm happy to be here. "
The next step would be to play well in the playoffs if the Cubs get that far. Things did not go as planned last October, as he dropped eight points in seven runs, which sparked more questions about the trade. Maybe it will silence the defeatists once and for all after the playoffs.
Quintana was asked when he heard the debate on the trade, including some of the negative comments directed against him.
"I'm trying not to read the news," he says with a smile. "I can go to bed happy that way."
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