Jose Quintana

The Cardinals acquired a solid starting pitcher in Jose Quintana from the Pirates, but will this move be enough to aid their playoff push?

Nunez entered the season as the Cardinals 10th best prospect, and he profiles as a power-hitting infielder. He’s only appeared in 14 games with the Cardinals this season, but his 3.20 ERA is solid, and he’s racked up 26 strikeouts over 25.1 innings. This is a good start from St. Louis, but it’s clear they have more work to do before the deadline hits this afternoon. The Cardinals bought low on Stratton in hopes that he can find his form from the 2021 season, when he had a 3.63 ERA over 79.1 innings. But let’s take a closer look at this deal between the Cardinals and Pirates and see who may stand to benefit from it more than the other. Jack Flaherty has only made three starts on the season, and Steven Matz is on the shelf with an injury too.

ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals fortified their starting rotation with a much-needed left-hander on Monday night, finalizing a trade with the Pirates for ...

However, with the Cubs and Yankees set to visit St. Louis the next six nights for two three-game series, the Cardinals need to add depth to their starting staff prior to Tuesday’s 5 p.m. CT Trade Deadline. Quintana, a free agent at season’s end, has generated a 45 percent ground-ball rate this season -- something the Cardinals covet with five 2021 Gold Glove defenders on their roster. Quintana, an 11-year MLB veteran, was 3-5 with a 3.50 ERA in 20 starts for the Pirates this season. John Denton covers the Cardinals for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JohnDenton555. The Cardinals rank first in the Majors in double plays. ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals fortified their starting rotation with a much-needed left-hander on Monday night, finalizing a trade with the Pirates for 33-year-old southpaw José Quintana and righty reliever Chris Stratton.

The Cardinals have added some needed pitching depth ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline. St. Louis acquired veteran left-hander José Quintana from the Pirates ...

The move bolsters the Cardinals’ starting rotation after Jack Flaherty (shoulder) landed on the 60-day injured list, and Steven Matz suffered a torn left MCL last month. St. Louis acquired veteran left-hander José Quintana from the Pirates, the club announced Monday night. An All-Star in 2016, Quintana spent his spent his first five seasons with the White Sox after debuting in ’12. He spent the next four seasons with the Cubs after arriving to the club in July ’17 in a deal involving Eloy Jiménez.

The St. Louis Cardinals on Monday acquired veteran left-handed starting pitcher Jose Quintana from the Pittsburgh Pirates as part of a four-player trade.

Right-hander Johan Oviedo and third base prospect Malcom Nunez are going to the Pirates in the trade. This season, he's put up an OPS of .823 at Double-A Springfield. MLB.com ranked Nunez as the No. 10 prospect in a deep Cardinals system. This season he's regained effectiveness, in part because of increased use of his changeup. Stratton, who turns 32 later in August, has worked almost exclusively out of the bullpen for the Pirates since they acquired him in 2019. For his career, he owns an ERA+ of 86 in 19 starts and 14 relief appearances spread across three big-league seasons for St. Louis. Nunez, 21, owns a slash line of .280/.366/.465 with 41 home runs in 276 minor-league games. Shoulder woes have limited Jack Flaherty to just three starts this season, and he's likely sidelined until September. Meantime, free-agent addition Steven Matz may miss the rest of the season with a torn MCL in his left knee.