Red Sox trade prospect Nick Yorke to Pirates for 23-year-old controllable pitcher
The Red Sox and Pirates completed a trade Monday afternoon, sending minor league infielder Nick Yorke to Pittsburgh for right-handed pitcher Quinn Priester.
The deal offers the Red Sox additional controllable pitching to their pipeline while dealing from an area of surplus.
Priester, 23, who has been both a starter and reliever for the Pirates this season, was optioned to Triple-A Worcester. A former top-100 prospect as ranked by both Baseball America, No. 58 in 2021 and No. 88 entering 2022, Priester was 2-6 with a 5.04 ERA, 15 percent strikeout rate, and 6 percent walk rate in 44 2/3 innings this season.
The righty has had success in the minors, posting 3.41 ERA across several minor league levels with the Pirates. He’s struggled to put it together in the majors, posting a 6.46 ERA in 94.2 innings across two seasons.
Boston will continue to develop Priester as a starter while down in Worcester.
"In Quinn we see a young starting pitcher with a ton of potential, said Craig Breslow to reporters following the trade. “He throws strikes and misses barrels and keeps the ball on the ground, which is a good place to start when seeking rotation pieces. It hurts to give up a player as talented as Nick, but we saw upper-level middle infielders as an area where we have a lot of good players."
Yorke spent four seasons in the Red Sox system, including hitting .277 with a .795 OPS. At Triple-A Worcester. Since his promotion to the WooSox in June, Yorke has hit .310 with six home runs in 38 games, with an .898 OPS.
“Nick has been a strong offensive performer and versatile defender in the minor leagues,” Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said in a statement. “We are excited to add him to our upper-level position player group.”
With the surplus of middle infielders in the Red Sox system and Yorke being eligible for the Rule 5 draft this December, the versatile infielder became expendable.
