Veteran left-hander Jose Quintana took the mound for the Cincinnati Reds during their spring training contest against the Colorado Rockies at Goodyear Ballpark on Tuesday evening. The pitching change came in a scoreless game as both clubs continue fine-tuning their rotations ahead of Opening Day.
Quintana, who signed with the Reds as a free agent this offseason, represents a key addition to Cincinnati's starting rotation plans. The 35-year-old brings 13 years of big league experience and a career 4.22 ERA across stints with the White Sox, Cubs, Angels, Giants, Pirates, Cardinals, and Mets.
Spring Training Impact
This appearance gives Quintana another opportunity to build arm strength and work on his command as he competes for a rotation spot. The Colombian southpaw posted a 4.57 ERA in 31 starts for St. Louis last season, striking out 177 batters in 170.1 innings pitched.
With the Reds looking to improve upon last year's 77-85 record, adding veteran stability to the rotation was a priority this winter. Quintana's track record of eating innings – he's thrown at least 165 innings in four of his last five full seasons – makes him an attractive option for manager David Bell.
The scoreless affair against Colorado provides both teams valuable evaluation time as roster decisions loom with less than two weeks remaining in spring training.