© Raj Mehta | 2021 Aug 19
The Giants claimed left-handed veteran pitcher José Quintana off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels on Monday morning. Quintana has registered a 6.75 earned run average, but has struck out a career-high 12.3 batters per nine innings.
The 32-year-old features a relatively balanced arsenal of pitches; he throws his fastball 40% of the time while mixing in his curveball, sinker and changeup regularly.
Quintana, now on his fourth team in his 10th MLB season, started ten games for the Angels in 2021. He hit the 10-day injured list in June, and took on a reliever role upon returning. He recently rejoined LA’s rotation, but got shelled in his last start, a 1.1-inning, six run performance against the Detroit Tigers.
Once the ace of the Chicago White Sox staff, Quintana began his career in 2012 with five straight sub-4.00 ERA seasons. He was named an All-Star for the White Sox in 2016, when he posted a career-best 3.20 ERA.
Quintana has struggled since he turned 30 in 2019, though. His ERA plummeted to 4.68 in 2019, 4.50 in 2020 and 6.75 this season. But in each season, including 2021, his FIP was significantly lower than his ERA, suggesting he may be more effective than that metric makes him appear.
Quintana is the latest move to try to bolster the bullpen with a flyer on a waiver claim. The Tyler Chatwood experience ended when SF designated him for assignment on Sunday. He was in the Giants organization for about three weeks and made two appearances.
The Giants already have a myriad of left-handed pitchers in the bullpen, from high-leverage options Jake McGee, Tyler Rogers, and José Álvarez to middle innings options like Sammy Long and Tony Watson. Where Quintana fits in, either as a spot-starter or long reliever, isn’t immediately clear.