3 NY Mets free agents other than Pete Alonso we’re most surprised haven’t signed yet

2) Jose Quintana

If you weren’t there to watch it, you’d have no idea how topsy-turvy of a season Jose Quintana had in 2024. He was ace-like at times, especially late in the season. Then there were those moments where we tried to convince ourselves he could be a pretty good reliever all the while knowing that we had no argument good enough. Quintana remains unsigned and with a lack of rumors about where he could end up, it’s anyone’s guess as to why this is the case.

Starting pitchers have gotten paid big bucks this year and many of the best now have teams. A stalled trade market at the moment as ball clubs wait and find out about Dylan Cease could be one of the reasons why Quintana has yet to ink a deal. He’s right there alongside a player such as Andrew Heaney as a quality number four starter on a good team with some red flags.

Quintana’s age is definitely a turnoff. He’ll be 36 for all of the coming year but after a season of making 31 starts plus three more in the postseason, age feels like nothing more than a number.

A one-year deal is probably all he could hope to receive. After cashing in on the biggest AAV of his career with a two-year contract with the Mets worth $26 million, the next question is what he wants most. Quintana has never won a World Series so that’s likely a goal of his before retirement. It doesn’t necessarily eliminate some of the lesser contenders from making him a deal he can’t refuse. The trade deadline is a perfect time to land on a roster with true championship aspirations.

Because of his talent and position, it’s impossible to predict exactly where Quintana could end up. Plenty of teams could use a rotation upgrade. Who’s willing to actually spend?