Cardinals Trade Target: Why Jose Quintana Makes Sense for St. Louis

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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – JULY 10: Jose Quintana #62 of the Pittsburgh Pirates throws a pitch during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on July 10, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) /

Quintana dominates the Brewers and other NL rivals

If the Cardinals want to win their division, they will need to rack up on wins against their division rivals, including the Brewers, who are currently in first place. Acquiring Quintana would go a long way toward that, as he has found immense success against their division rivals in his career.

Here is Quintana’s career ERA and the club’s games remaining against each NL Central opponent:

Brewers – 2.95 ERA (7 G)

Cubs – 3.40 ERA (11 G)

Reds – 3.41 ERA (8 G)

Pirates – 3.64 ERA (9 G)

If Quintana can continue his success against NL Central opponents down the stretch, St. Louis could rack up wins in the months of August and September against their rebuilding foes as well as their direct competition for the NL Central crown.

Quintana has struggled in his career against some of the other NL powerhouses, but it is worth noting the team his has pitched the best against in his career is the Dodgers, where he has an 2.02 ERA in 11 starts against the club, which could be huge for St. Louis come playoff time.