The Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates agreed to a deal on Monday, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Boston has acquired right-handed pitcher Quinn Priester in exchange for infield prospect Nick Yorke.
Priester, 23, has had a disappointing MLB performance in 20 games (14 starts). He was previously considered a great talent, however. Priester’s potential makes him a particularly intriguing pitcher.
The Red Sox could use more pitching depth, so their reasoning for making this trade is understandable. It’s surprising to see Pittsburgh move on from Priester.
According to MLB.com, Yorke was the Red Sox’s No. 6 overall prospect entering the 2024 season. The 22-year-old possesses outstanding offensive abilities. He has the potential to become a balanced big league hitter, as he can hit for both average and power. Yorke’s primary strength is his offensive skills.
Pittsburgh is undoubtedly hoping that Yorke will take a stride forward and impact the club in 2025.
Red Sox pitching improves.
Again, Priester has had little success at the MLB level thus far. Nonetheless, this deal has the potential to be one of the most significant and underappreciated moves of the whole deadline. Priester has the potential to become a reliable starting pitcher for Boston in the coming years.
Boston is currently focused on trying to compete in the American League. The Red Sox had a 55-49 record as of this writing. They are ranked third in the AL East. Furthermore, Boston is in a strong position to fight for an AL Wild Card slot.
The Red Sox are likely to make another deal or two before the deadline on Tuesday. They will benefit from offensive and pitching improvements. Boston will struggle to compete in the talented American League without better all-around depth.
Ultimately, the Priester addition should not be disregarded.
