The one New York Yankees prospect who got away

After bouncing between four teams in two seasons (2022-2024), former Yankees prospect and current Mets starting pitcher José Quintana seems to have found stability once again in Queens. Quintana enjoyed a career resurgence in '24, making 31 starts—his highest total since 2020—and posting a 3.75 ERA in the regular season. He provided the Mets with the reliable third starter they needed this year.

Quintana, initially signed by the Mets out of Colombia in 2006, was suspended in March 2007 after testing positive for a banned substance while playing in the Venezuelan Summer League. Once his suspension ended in July 2007, the Mets decided to release him.

Quintana signed with the Yankees the following March and, after several years in the low minors, reached High-A in 2011. There, he broke out, posting a 10-2 record with a 2.91 ERA. Despite his strong performance, the Yankees chose not to add him to the 40-man roster, allowing him to become a free agent. 

The next summer, GM Brian Cashman told the New York Post, “We looked at him as a fringy prospect. We offered him a minor league contract to stay, but not a 40-man roster position. We didn’t feel he was ahead of other guys we gave spots to. It was a numbers game, but right now it does not look like a good decision.”

Yankees GM Brian Cashman's decision to let Jose Quintana walk has aged poorly

Rarely do you get a clearer example of letting a prospect get away. In fact, the Yankees facilitated it.

Quintana found a home on both sides of Chicago, spending six seasons with the White Sox (2012-2017) and four seasons with the Cubs (2017-2020), at which point his peak appeared to be ending. If that had been the end of the story, the Yankees would've already more than regretted their carelessness. It was not.

Quintana jumped around the Angels, Giants and Pirates. By the summer of 2022, Quintana's name came up at the trade deadline once again after a strong first half in Pittsburgh, and the Yankees were at the top of the list, as the team was in need of starting pitching. 

Many fans and reporters believed that if Quintana was brought into the Bronx, he would not move the needle because of the need for a star starting pitcher like Luis Castillo. Quintana was viewed as mediocre at best. Instead, the Yankees brought in Frankie Montas, Andrew Benitendi, and Harrison Bader at the 2022 trade deadline, hardly solving their existing issues.

Instead of disappearing like Montas, Quintana looked reinvigorated in St. Louis down the stretch in 2022, earning a playoff start. He parlayed that into a contract with the Mets, and injected much-needed energy into the team's starting rotation this postseason, proving to be a reliable force on the mound. In games started by Quintana, the team posted a solid 2-1 record, showcasing his ability to give the Mets a competitive edge in high-stakes situations. His steady presence and command on the mound have provided the Mets with crucial stability, helping to bolster their playoff push.

The Yankees could have used the 2024 version of Quintana on their starting pitcher -- as well as the 2012 version, the 2016 version, and the 2022 version. Instead, he is just another Yankees prospect who got away from Brian Cashman.