The New York Mets have had a busy offseason. Pete Alonso is back, they won the Juan Soto sweepstakes and also added a ton of pitching.
The rotation appears to be set with Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes, Frankie Montas, Griffin Canning and Paul Blackburn.
However, one key member of last year’s rotation is unlikely to return. Left-hander Jose Quintana had a strong 2024 season in New York and remains a free agent.
Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter has the veteran lefty heading to the Chicago White Sox, where he began his career.
“Despite going 10-10 with a 3.75 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 170.1 innings over 31 starts with the Mets last season, José Quintana remains unsigned. The 36-year-old spent the first five-and-a-half seasons of his career with the White Sox, and he could return there to close out what has been a productive MLB career,” Reuter predicted.
Quintana missed much of the 2023 season, but he was a reliable source of veteran innings for the Mets in 2024. Even at 36, he remains a productive pitcher and should land a contract somewhere soon.
The veteran even pitched a gem for the Mets in Game 4 of the National League Division Series when they eliminated the Philadelphia Phillies and advanced to the NLCS.
While New York has plenty of depth, it certainly hurts not to have Quintana in the rotation. He could very well return to the White Sox to close out his career where he started it.
Quintana would be the best pitcher in that rotation. We’ll see where he ends up.
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