The Other Side: Jose Quintana’s Career Was Reborn With Pirates

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part of a recurring series that spotlights Pittsburgh Pirates-oriented news and notes from their opponents.

Jose Quintana spent a limited amount of time with the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, it proved to be a pivotal point in his long career.

The left-hander made 20 starts for the Pirates in 2022 after being signed as a free agent the previous winter to a one-year, $2-million contract. He went 3-5 with a 3.50 ERA, pitching well enough to be traded to the St. Louis Cardinals on Aug. 2 to help their push to win the National League Central.

Now Quintana is in the second season of a two-year, $26-million contract with the New York Mets. His value is certainly much higher than when he joined the Pirates.

Quintana had won 13 games with the Chicago Cubs in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. However, his career had gone downhill, and he was 0-3 with a 6.43 ERA in 29 games combined, including 10 starts with the Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants.

“The time I spent with the Pirates was some of the most important of my career,” Quintana said last weekend when the Mets visited the Pirates at PNC Park. “I wasn’t pitching well. I didn’t know how much longer I was going to be able to play. But the Pirates gave me a chance, gave me the ball and I was able to keep my career going. I’m very thankful for my time in Pittsburgh.”

Quintana finished the 2022 season strong for the Cardinals by going 3-2 with a 2.01 ERA in 12 starts. That piqued the Mets’ interest, and he has a 7-11 record and a 3.76 ERA in 31 starts over two seasons.

“I feel like I’m back to being the type of pitcher I was with the Cubs,” the 35-year-old Quintana said.

Ben Gamel Hanging Around

Ben Gamel was a mainstay on some bad Pirates teams in 2021 and 2022 when they lost at least 100 games. The outfielder played in 111 games the first year and in 115 the next.

Gamel provided adequate production in his 226 games, hitting .242/.337/.383 with 17 home runs.

However, Gamel has played in just 14 big-league games over the last two years – six with the San Diego Padres last year and eight with the Mets this year.

“I still feel I can help a big-league team,” Gamel, 32, said last weekend. “I love to play so I keep on playing but I really feel I can stay in the major leagues.”

No Sentimental Homecoming for Mikes Mikolas

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Miles Mikolas made his 20^th career start against the Pirates last week at PNC Park. However, he never gets emotional when facing his old team.

Wait, Mikolas was once a Pirate? Technically he was, though, he never appeared in a game for them.

The Pirates acquired Mikolas from the San Diego Padres on Nov. 25, 2013, in a minor trade then was dealt to the Texas Rangers five weeks later in another deal that generated not much more than a line in the transactions.

So, what was Mikolas’ favorite memory with the Pirates?

“Clint Hurdle was the manager and he called me after I got traded and said he was sorry he didn’t get the chance to work with me,” Mikolas said. “That was very classy.”