The Boston Red Sox have acquired right-hander Quinn Priester from the Pittsburgh Pirates for infielder Nick Yorke, per Jeff Passan of ESPN. There is no room for Priester in Boston’s rotation, but he will supplement its starting pitching depth. The 23-year-old hasn’t shown much at the major league level, collecting a 6.61 ERA over 81 2/3 innings. Priester is a former top-100 prospect with a 3.50 ERA and 25.1 percent strikeout rate during his time at the Double- and Triple-A levels.
Yorke was the No. 17 draft pick in 2020. He has a .277/.359/.437 slash line in 370 minor league games, reaching Triple-A for the first time this year.
Red Sox Get Priester from Pirates for Nick Yorke
Priester, a 2019 first-round draft pick, made his MLB debut last season in Pittsburgh. In ten games (six starts), Priester has a 5.04 ERA with 31 strikeouts and 13 walks in 44 2/3 innings. In seven starts at Triple-A Indianapolis this season, the right-hander posted a 3.21 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings. Priester is under team control through the 2030 season and continues to add depth to the Red Sox pitching system.
In Yorke, he has spent his entire minor league career in the infield. It was widely speculated that the Red Sox would dangle Yorke in a trade. After a promotion to Triple-A Worcester in early July, Yorke is hitting .310 with an .898 OPS in 38 games.
More to come.
