During the Brewers’ last game of 2024, Milwaukee strugged to get to left-hander Jose Quintana. Heading into 2025, Quintana will now be on the Brewers’ side, as Milwaukee’s reportedly adding the 36-year-old on a one-year deal.
A Look at Quintana
Jose Quintana parlayed a strong second-half with the Cardinals into a two-year deal with the Mets two winters ago. And for the most part, Quintana lived up to expectations.
No, Quintana wasn’t as dominant compared to his St. Louis days, when he posted the fourth-best ERA among pitchers over the final two months of 2022. But with the Mets, Quintana logged 246 regular-season innings across two seasons, plus 14.1 postseason innings.
His numbers, both traditional and advanced, were strong, Quintana posted sub-4.00 ERA figures in both 2023 and 2024. The 36-year-old left-hander was adept at limited barreled-up contact (6.7% Barrel% in 2024), and posted above-average ground-ball (48.2%) numbers.
Even though the current Mets front office didn’t sign Quintana, the veteran lefty proved to be an ideal fit for the regime. Quintana loves to work hitters with both a four-seamer and two-seamer, the latter of which has more traditional run than sinker.
His four-seamer, on the other hand, possessed roughly league-average IVB (16.2”) and more glove-side movement.
The new Brewer isn’t a swing-and-miss pitcher, as he posted below-average Whiff% rates from 2022-24. However, Quintana can effectively change speeds and looks. His curveball has good biting action Quintana’s changeup netted him a 36.7% Whiff% rate. It’s a pitch that meshes well with his two-seamer from movement and pitch speed differential standpoints.
The left-hander had a mostly healthy stint with the Mets. However, Quintana didn’t pitch for the early portions of 2023, which included him missing the World Baseball Classic, after a rib fracture that required surgery. He also had a benign lesion that was taken care of during the said surgery.
There was some chatter in New York whether the Mets, who are down Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas, would consider re-signing Quintana. However, the franchise reportedly didn’t have interest in a reunion.
Per reports, the Brewers are signing Jose Quintana to a one-year deal.
Analysis
Brewers fans should be awfully familiar with Quintana, who diced up Milwaukee for six shutout innings during Game 3 of the NL Wild Card round last October. Now, Quintana will look to eat innings for a Brewers team that could use additional pitching depth.
Right now, the Brewers’ tentative rotation includes Freddy Peralta, Tobias Myers, Aaron Civale, and Nestor Cortes. Brandon Woodruff is working his way back after missing all of 2024 thanks to shoulder surgery.
Jacob Misiorowski, a non-roster invite, has made two spring outings thus far and sat in the upper-90s with his fastball. However, command has been — and likely will be a continuing issue — a problem for Misiorowski. He walked three over three innings.
Given the nature of a 162-game season, having at least six pitchers who can reliably give a team innings is critical. Quintana is a proven innings-eater and one with plenty of offerings to mix up on hitters.
In other MLB-related news, the Braves signed Hector Neris to a one-year deal.