Reds newest prospect, Nick Quintana, brings power and defense

On Wednesday, the Cincinnati Reds traded longtime catcher Tucker Barnhart to the Detroit Tigers for Nick Quintana. Let's get to the know the Reds newest addition a little better.

Originally drafted by the Boston Red Sox out of high school, Quintana decided instead to attend the University of Arizona. After three years in Tuscon, Quintana was selected in the second-round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers.

Reds newest prospect, Nick Quintana, offers a mixed bag.

Nick Quintana is known for two things; defense and power. A converted shortstop, Quintana more than has the arm to play third base.

While Quintana has a quick first step, errors plagued him this past season at Low-A Lakeland. In 72 games, Quintana committed nine errors, good enough for a .941 fielding percentage.

During his three seasons at the University of Arizona, Quintana posted a .565 slugging percentage and amassed 35 home runs while hitting .317.

Unfortunately, that hasn't translated to his play in the minor leagues. Like many minor leaguers, Quintana's development was effected by the lack of a minor league season in 2020.

In two seasons in the minors, Quintana has hit just .190/.288/.309 with 11 home runs and 64 RBIs. The right-handed hitting prospect has also struck out 168 times in his 635 minor league at-bats. That's a 26.4% strikeout-rate.

However, Quintana's 12.2% career walk-rate in the minors suggests a decent understanding of the strike zone.

Nick Quintana joins a crowded crop of infield prospects. Rece Hinds, Tyler Callihan, Elly De La Cruz, and Matt McLain will all be ahead of Quintana on the depth chart.

Quintana will likely head to High-A Dayton to begin next season. At 24 years of age, the clock is ticking for Quintana to prove that he has what it takes to become a major league player.

While it's hard to say goodbye to Tucker Barnhart, this was a necessary move. The Reds were not going to pay $7.5M for a backup catcher.

The trade enables Tyler Stephenson to become the Cincinnati Reds everyday catcher next season and gives the team added depth in their farm system.