The Red Sox and Pirates have made a notable trade, with Boston acquiring right-handed pitcher Quinn Priester in exchange for second base prospect Nick Yorke.
Boston, having an open spot on their 40-man roster, assigned Priester to Triple-A Worcester. Conversely, Pittsburgh has assigned Yorke to their Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis.
Quinn Priester, aged 23, has seen major league action in the past two seasons. However, his performance has been inconsistent, posting a 6.46 ERA over 94 2/3 innings with a 15.4% strikeout rate and 9.2% walk rate, both below the league average. Despite a solid 53.9% ground-ball rate, he has struggled with home runs, allowing more than 1.8 per nine innings.
Drafted 18th overall by the Pirates in 2019, Priester was once considered a top pitching prospect, renowned for his curveball. Yet, his fastball has been critiqued for lacking movement, leading to challenges against major league hitters. In Triple-A, Priester has shown promise with a 3.81 ERA, including a 3.21 ERA this season over 33 2/3 innings.
Boston aims to refine Priester’s skills, benefiting from his two remaining option years and limited major league service time. Priester will initially start in the minors, positioned behind Boston’s current rotation but available for MLB duty as needed. Pittsburgh, having a solid rotation depth, was in a position to part with Priester.
Nick Yorke, a 22-year-old prospect, has excelled in the high minors, especially after a promotion to Triple-A, where he hit .310/.408/.490 with six home runs. Drafted by Boston in 2020, Yorke has primarily played second base but has some experience in left field. Pittsburgh sees Yorke as a solution to their second base issues, with starter Nick Gonzales sidelined due to injury.
Yorke, while new to the majors, could quickly make an impact and needs to be added to Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster by next offseason to avoid the Rule 5 draft.
Both prospects were ranked in their respective systems, with Yorke receiving praise for his hitting ability despite average athleticism. This trade offers both teams potential long-term benefits with control over their new acquisitions for several seasons.
