Jose Quintana trade rumors arrive one start into his Mets career

The New York Mets, barring a perfect run in the next few days, would be sellers by the August 1st trade deadline. Despite having the largest payroll in baseball history, the Mets do not have many assets that generate a significant return. However, as Andy Martino reports, José Quintana, who debuted last Thursday against the Chicago White Sox, it's the latest Mets rumor candidate that could be a trade target of some contenders.

As Martino explains in his note to SNY, some clubs have been scouting Quintana since he came out of rehab to evaluate him as a possible trade candidate. Quintana, who missed more than half the year with rib surgery last March, made an efficient debut in his first outing with the Mets that adds value.

The Mets rumors idea of ​​trading Quintana could be great, due to the possible return he could generate

Contenders will be looking for starting pitching options at this trade deadline. There are more and more teams that are inclined to seek help in the rotation with a market that does not have many options, now more with the departure of Shane Bieber due to injury.

It is almost a given that Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander will remain with the Mets after August 1 in a move by the organization to be competitive in 2024. Teams like the Arizona Diamondbacks, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, and Texas Rangers are looking for starting pitchers, which would imply a great demand for a few reliable pitchers on the market, meaning an increase in the value of the asset to be traded.

In a pitching deadline led by Lucas Giolito, who took a beating by the Mets in his last outing, no pitcher on the market has a contract with control beyond 2023 like José Quintana. This contract guarantee until the end of the 2024 season makes him an attractive trade candidate, who would be widely in demand and would generate a higher return.

This is especially important for the Mets as an organization. In a trade deadline as sellers without many options that generate the expected return, Quintana can be the asset that allows them to get more valuable prospects and value to the organization to raise the level of its farm system.

If Quintana is traded, the Mets could fill the position with David Peterson or Tylor Megill this season and open up another slot for the rotation that would only have Scherzer, Verlander, and Kodai Senga as insurance pitchers. This would allow the team to go for the services of Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto and add another starter from free agency or allow Mike Vasil to be the fifth starter for the Mets next year.