Yankees miss on Luis Castillo: 3 trade targets to move quickly on

2. Jose Quintana could be a great fit in the Yankees rotation

In the wake of Castillo landing with the Mariners, one of the immediate reports was that the Yankees, as expected, were trying to make a deal with the Reds. But soon after that came news that New York was quickly moving on and shifting its focus elsewhere. And one of the names thrown out by MLB insider Jon Heyman was Pirates veteran southpaw Jose Quintana.

Now 33 years old and playing with the fifth team of his career this season, Quintana certainly falls into a different category than Skubal. At the same time, though, he’s more of a short-term solution that New York could consider trying to add at the trade deadline.

After an up-and-down season last year spent with both the Angeles and Giants where his ERA was north of 6.40, Quintana has bounced back strongly with Pittsburgh as he’s posted a 3.70 ERA over 19 starts with a 1.284 WHIP. Put simply, he has been the best iteration of himself that baseball fans have seen in quite some time.

Not only would the Yankees be adding another strong veteran arm to the rotation but it could also be invaluable for the pitching staff as another lefty to mix in as Nestor Cortes is the only consistent piece who fills that role right now.