The Pirates are trying to trade for Jose Quintana

Buster Olney reports that the Pirates have “worked hard” to make a trade for White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana. Nothing appears imminent, however.

In lieu of actual signings, expect to hear a lot about Quintana, as he’s obviously a highly desirable trade target at the moment. As we noted the other day when the Yankees were rumored to be interested, Quintana is owed a mere $14.35 million over the next two seasons, with a pair of $10.5 million club options for 2019 and 2020.

That deal, combined with his striking consistency and durability over the past five years, he’d be someone any team would be happy to have. But he’s gonna cost a lot.