Ex-Cardinals $20 million All-Star expected to sign with Twins for rotation boost

The St. Louis Cardinals have committed to an organizational reset, putting them in a situation where pursuing free agent options this winter is not a top priority.

Unfortunately, the Cardinals likely won’t be as concerned with bolstering their roster this offseason as cutting it down. Specific contracts, like Nolan Arenado’s with $74 million remaining, are being shopped around to help St. Louis free up space on the payroll.

However, a reunion with a former left-handed pitcher is unlikely to happen this offseason, as an insider’s recent 2025 rotation predictions place him with the Minnesota Twins.

“The Twins need to do better this time around than Chris Paddack and a parade of inexperienced young guys to round out the team, and without the emergence of Simeon Woods Richardson, things would have been even worse in 2024,” Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter wrote Wednesday , when it came to Minnesota State’s lackluster rotation. “Veteran Jose Quintana would add a veteran to the mix at a reasonable price and bring a little more balance to a good roster.”

Quintana posted a 3-2 record with a 2.01 ERA, a 48-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio, a .238 batting average and a 1.12 WHIP during the second half of the 2022 season for the Cardinals .

After helping lead the New York Mets to the National League Championship Series this season, Quintana is a free agent with a projected market value of about $20 million over a two-year deal, which is an annual market value, according to MLB Trade Rumors of almost 10 million US dollars.

Considering the All-Star southpaw has a 10-10 record with a 3.75 ERA, a 135-to-63 strikeout-to-walk ratio, a .237 batting average and a 1.25-in Having pitched 170 1/3 innings for the Mets in 2024, acquiring Quintana would be an estimated $10 million US dollars per year is a bargain for the twins.

The Twins rotation finished 22nd in the league with a 4.36 ERA that year. It would be a wise decision for Minnesota to add a reliable and experienced Quintana to the mix.

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