*Photo from Pittsburgh Baseball Now*
Seeking a pitching upgrade, the St. Louis Cardinals turned to a division rival. The Cardinals have acquired LHP Jose Quintana and RHP Chris Stratton from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for RHP Johan Oviedo and 3B Malcom Nunez, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.
This offseason, Quintana agreed to a one year deal with the Pirates for $2 million, figuring to be a low risk addition for the rebuilding Pirates rotation. Quintana became a lot more than a placeholder, quickly becoming one of Pittsburgh's best pitchers. The Pirates cashed in on that success, moving him to the Cardinals for a reliable reliever and a highly ranked prospect.
So far with the Pirates this season, Quintana has posted a 3-5 record. He has a 3.50 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and 3.24 FIP, striking out 89 hitters while walking just 31. He has 103 innings under his belt this season, making 20 starts for the Pirates.
Across Quintana's lengthy 11 year career, split between 5 teams, he has a 86-85 record to his name. He has posted a 3.81 ERA and 1.28 WHIP, throwing a total of 1,661 innings pitched, making 277 starts and 26 relief appearances. He has a 4-3 record with a 5.40 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 13 1/3 innings and 4 appearances in the postseason, 3 of which were starts.
Also going to the Cardinals is Stratton, who will become a bullpen piece. This season, Stratton has a 5-4 record with a 5.09 ERA and 1.54 WHIP, notching two saves in 40 2/3 innings pitched, making one start and 39 relief appearances for the Pirates.
One part of the return for the Pirates is Oviedo, who will aid the bullpen immediately. Oviedo has a 2-1 record with a 3.20 ERA and 1.30 WHIP, tossing 25 1/3 innings while striking out 26 hitters in one start and 13 relief appearances for the Cardinals this season.
The other part of the return is Nunez, the 10th ranked prospect in the Cardinals system, according to MLB Pipeline. With Double A Springfield this season, Nunez has a .255 batting average with a .823 OPS, hitting 17 home runs to go with 66 RBI's in 85 games, adding 4 stolen bases.
In St. Louis, Quintana joins a rotation that currently consists of Adam Wainwright, Miles Mikolas, Andre Pallante, and Dakota Hudson, with Jack Flaherty and Steven Matz on the IL. Oviedo joins the Pirates bullpen, while Nunez will likely be assigned to Double A Altoona.
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