As roster overturn nears, Quintana's spot will be tough to fill for Pirates

José Quintana played coy when asked if he knew why the PNC Park crowd gave him a standing ovation as he walked towards the home dugout Friday night.

"Maybe I threw the ball well," Quintana said. "I heard it and I enjoyed that time."

Sure, part of the ovation was for his performance, 5 2/3 scoreless innings that was ultimately wasted in a 4-2 Pirates loss to the Phillies in 10 innings, but the recognition was also for Quintana's service to the ball club this season. After signing a one-year prove it deal to stay a starter in the league, Quintana was a reclamation success story, recording a 3.50 ERA over 20 starts, totaling 103 innings.

Friday was almost surely his last start as a Pirate, too.

Tuesday is the trade deadline, and for a 40-60 club like the Pirates, Quintana is prime trade bait. A free agent at the end of the year, he could make an impact and provide rotation depth to a contender over the final two months of the regular season and into October.

That shouldn't make light of the inevitable trade, because he has made an impact with a young rotation, too, being not just the team's most consistent starter, but a veteran voice for a young team.

"Q came in advertised really good, and he's better than advertised," Derek Shelton said before the game. "The thing that really stands out for me, is not even the conversations he has, it's just the way he goes about it every day. You watch it, the focus, the intent to throw strikes, how he takes care of his body, how he prepares. When you have a young group of pitchers, sometimes almost watching by osmosis is as important as what they say. And I think what stands out with Q is, he prepares like a professional every day and I think that can wear off and I think we are starting to see that wear off on some of our young pitchers."

A Quintana trade is one of several moves the Pirates are expected to make before Tuesday, but the roster shuffle should extend beyond then. The Pirates have clearly presented themselves as willing to listen to teams about almost everyone on their roster, though it's unlikely that players like Bryan Reynolds or David Bednar are moved. But players on expiring contracts -- Quintana and Ben Gamel, for example -- are likely candidates.

It's not the first time the clubhouse has been faced with this scenario.

"From my experience here, with these guys, we’ve done a really good job of keeping the outside noise outside," Kevin Newman, one of those potential trade chips, said. "Showing up every day and continuing to work hard and get better. I think that’s what we’re going to continue to do."

And if the Pirates don't find takers for some players, there should still be some roster overturn in August and September.

"It’s fair to say, trades or no trades, probably likely see some [roster] changes," Ben Cherington said. "We just want to create some opportunity for some guys that are in Indy now, so we’ll see how that plays out." 

That should create opportunities for rookies who had been called up earlier in the year, such as Jack Suwinski, Tucupita Marcano, Travis Swaggerty and Roansy Contreras. Contreras is currently with Class AAA Indianapolis stretching his arm back out after a planned break for his load management. He could take Quintana's spot in the rotation soon, and a spot will have to open up for Colin Holderman, the reliever the Pirates got back from the Mets for Daniel Vogelbach. The Pirates certainly could have used Holderman's services Friday, as the bullpen allowed four runs in 4 1/3 innings.

Assuming it's not Contreras in Quintana's spot, there is Miguel Yajure, who has been given developmental projects in the minors this year, or perhaps even Mike Burrows, one of the top prospects in the system, eat the end of the season since he will need to be added to the 40 man roster this winter anyway.

Until then, Quintana's set up to wait to see what his fate is.

"We know the deadline is close," Quintana said. "When we don't have that information, it's always in your mind but as soon as the game starts I'm really focused on doing my thing. I say to you last time, I'm always thinking 'This is the start I have' and I'm always thinking no-hitter. Maybe one time I get the opportunity but I always try to do my best. The best chance I get to get my team really good chance to win the game, that's what's most important to me."

He did that Friday night. And if it was his final time as Pirate, he earned that ovation.

MORE FROM THE GAME

• Handing the ball off to the bullpen in the sixth, Yerry De Los Santos got Quintana out of a bases loaded jam, but Manny Bañuelos and Wil Crowe both allowed run scoring hits to Kyle Schwarber and Rhys Hoskins to knot the game at two.

After a scoreless eighth from Crowe and ninth from David Bednar, Duane Underwood Jr. was brought in to pitch the 10th, where Hoskins jumped on a hanging 0-2 offspeed pitch and put it over the center field wall:

"Misses right down the middle to a guy that's hit 20 homers," Shelton said. "You just can't do that." 

• There were two bright spots in what was otherwise another bleak performance by the offense, striking out a dozen times and going just 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position, one of which was a non-scoring infield single by Michael Chavis in the eighth.

The first was Ke'Bryan Hayes, who hit his fifth home run of the season to right. I had recently spoken to the third baseman about what he's trying to do at the plate amid his slump, and he seemed to have the good posture and mechanics he's aiming for right now:

"I think he's hit a couple balls over the last three or four games with some impact," Shelton said. "For one of them to get out is definitely encouraging."

• The other bright spot was Newman, who picked up three hits and a couple of doubles out of the leadoff spot. He's quietly been solid at the dish this year, especially since he came off of the injured list earlier this month, raising his season average to .277 and OPS to .742.

"Just trying to hit good pitches," Newman said. "Continue to build on what I had going before I got hurt, working on direction, staying through the ball. Just spending a lot of time working on those things."

• Before the game, the Pirates announced they had signed their first-round draft pick, Termarr Johnson. More on that here.

The Pirates have now signed 18 of the 21 players they drafted, and that might be the final number. Cherington says the club will continue to have dialogue with their last three unsigned picks -- 12th rounder K.C. Hunt, 14th rounder LHP Julian Bosnic, 19th rounder RHP Yoel Tejada -- but he "expects" they will not sign.

The deadline to sign is August 1.

• The Pirates are now 40-60 after losing their fifth straight, which puts them on pace for a 65-97 record.

• It was "Yinzerpalooza" at the ballpark, and to commemorate, Ben Roethlisberger threw out the first pitch:

THE ESSENTIALS

• Boxscore
• Live file
• Standings
• Statistics
• Schedule
• Scoreboard

THE HIGHLIGHTS

THE INJURIES

• 10-day injured list: OF Jake Marisnick (great toe)

• 15-day injured list: RHP Chase De Jong (knee)

• 60-day injured list: OF Canaan Njigba-Smith (wrist), RHP Blake Cederlind (UCL), RHP Nick Mears (elbow surgery) RHP Max Kranick (elbow), C Roberto Pérez (hamstring)

THE LINEUPS

Shelton's card:

1. Kevin Newman, 2B
2. Greg Allen, CF
3. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B
4. Michael Chavis, 1B
5. Ben Gamel, LF
6. Diego Castillo, RF
7. Oneil Cruz, SS
8. Yoshi Tsutsugo, DH
9. Jason Delay, C

And for Rob Thomson's Phillies:

1. Kyle Schwarber, DH
2. Rhys Hoskins, 1B
3. Alec Bohm, 3B
4. J.T. Realmuto, C
5. Nick Castellanos, RF
6. Matt Vierling, LF
7. Yario Munoz, 2B
8. Odubel Herrera, CF
9. Johan Camargo, SS

THE SCHEDULE

The Pirates and Phillies will play the third game of this four contest set Saturday, with Mitch Keller (3-7, 4.55) taking the bump against Ranger Suarez (7-5, 3.84). I'll have you covered for the 7:05 p.m. first pitch.

THE CONTENT

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