Why the Quinn Priester-Nick Yorke trade is a win for the Red Sox originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston
Quick reaction to news that the Red Sox have agreed to send second baseman Nick Yorke to the Pirates in exchange for right-hander Quinn Priester…
This is exactly the kind of move Craig Breslow should make. Yorke belonged to a surplus area and Priester represents the type of high-upside arm the Red Sox should prioritize. We shouldn’t expect Priester to address any immediate pitching needs, however, because that feels more like a later move than it does now.
Both players were first-round picks, with Priester going 18th in the 2019 draft and Yorke going 17th a year later. Both played in the Futures Game and were once considered top 50 prospects overall.
Priester reached the big leagues in 2023 and has struggled this year as a starter. He went 0-5 with a 4.83 ERA before spending a month on the injured list with a late strain, and then returned as a longtime reliever with even worse results, posting a 5.54 ERA in four matches.
Still, he’s just 23 years old and has a lifetime ERA of 3.41 in the minors. If the Red Sox can duplicate Breslow’s success with the Cubs developing young pitchers, Priester is an excellent candidate to eventually break out, although that may be of little consolation to the current team.
Still, there’s plenty to work with and a track record of success in the minors. Priester is primarily a shooter who keeps the ball on the floor half the time. Unfortunately, when he is hit in the air, he tends to go far. It remains a work in progress.
The fact that Yorke was the only one to leave should come as no surprise. According to several rival executives, the Red Sox aggressively acquired him in an attempt to capitalize on his sizzling performance at Triple-A Worcester, where he hit .310 with six homers in 38 games. The 2020 first-round pick has mostly landed in the team’s top 10 on several prospect lists, however, due to concerns about his defense and future big league standing.
He opened the year as the organization’s No. 6 prospect according to MLB.combut ranked 14th according to Baseball America, 13th by Fangraphs and 12th by SoxProspects.com.
Yorke represents an intriguing prospect because he’s 22 years old and basically big league ready, with a pure hitting tool that’s just above average. He tried his hand in the minor leagues, but hasn’t recaptured the excitement of his 2021 debut, when he hit .325 between two levels.
There are concerns about how well his glove will play second in the big leagues and whether he can get enough power to justify a spot in left field. He is expendable because of the impressive depth the Red Sox have built in centerfield, a group that includes not only the organization’s No. 1 prospect in shortstop Marcelo Mayerbut also hitting second baseman Kristian Campbell, international signees Franklin Arias and Yoellin Cespedes, athletic shortstop Nazzan Zanetello and utility prospect Chase Meidroth, who is also hitting well in his Triple-A debut.
In total, six of the team’s top 12 prospects are intermediate infielders.
It makes sense, then, that the Red Sox would trade within this group, and Yorke seemed like a strong candidate to be moved. The fact that the Red Sox were able to accomplish Breslow’s goal of improving their pitching depth through middle infield depth represents a step in the right direction, even if it might not help much immediately.
