Chicago Cubs rumors: 4 pitchers who could replace Jose Quintana in the rotation

Colin Rea is a 30-year-old tall right-handed pitcher who doesn’t have the elite stuff a pitcher like Alzolay possesses, but he may be one of the Cubs most complete pitchers in their system. Rea spent all of 2019 with Triple-A Iowa making 26 starts with a 4.50 ERA striking out exactly 50 percent more batters than he walked.

Out of his 26 minor starts with the I-Cubs, Rea failed to go more than five innings just three times that season, always fighting through tough games and difficult situations to stay on the mound. It’s his ability to mix his pitches, change locations, and outsmart batters that allowed Rea to shine in his short time with the Cubs.

He does have some MLB experience, spending the 2015 season with the Padres where he posted ok numbers with a 4.25 ERA and 7.4 strikeouts per nine innings. He’s still a gamble, as many of these arms, but his knack for churning out five+ innings of work is something the Cubs would appreciate greatly in a shortened season.

And with Quintana being one of the few Cubs starters without a history of injuries, having a reliable starter like Rea to eat innings is an asset right now.