Quintana expects to remain with White Sox 'for a long time'
Jose Quintana isn't letting a flurry of trade rumors distract him.
The Chicago White Sox starter has been the subject of renewed trade interest in recent weeks after an offseason that looked set to spell the end of his tenure in the Windy City. But with a new season set to get underway in just over a week's time, Quintana only has his eyes on leading the White Sox rotation for the foreseeable future.
"Yes, I expect to be here for a long time, and that's what I want," Quintana said Saturday, according to Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. "I don't pay attention to trade (rumors), so I come to the complex every day to do my job, spend time with my teammates and talk about baseball. And that's it.
"I don't pay attention. I just want to do good things for the White Sox."
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Judging by his resume, Quintana has already done plenty good for the South Siders.
The 28-year-old left-hander has quietly emerged as a beacon of consistency, averaging 190 innings pitched throughout his five-year career (his only sub-200-innings campaign was in his rookie year in 2012). Last season was his best yet, however, as Quintana broke his own personal records in ERA (3.20) and innings (208) in 32 starts.
That All-Star campaign prompted manager Rick Renteria to tab the southpaw for the first Opening Day start of his career in 2017, which is an honor Quintana isn't taking lightly.
"It means a lot for me, especially after last year, when you make the All-Star team, and this year the opportunity to play in the WBC," Quintana told Schouwen. "And now you have the opportunity to pitch on Opening Day.
"That's a lot of things happening for me now, and I'm happy. And really blessed."