The Pittsburgh Pirates have traded right-handed pitcher Quinn Priester to the Boston Red Sox, receiving infield prospect Nick Yorke in return. The deal was first reported by Jeff Passan.
Priester was the Pirates’ first round pick in 2019, and has spent the last two years trying to crack the MLB roster. This year he has a 5.04 ERA in 44.2 innings, with a 31:13 K/BB. He had a 3.21 ERA in 33.2 innings in Triple-A, with a 36:7 K/BB. His walk rate is down this year, but he was getting hit too often in the majors.
The Pirates called Priester up on July 9th to make a start, and he allowed two runs in six innings, walking two and striking out eight. That was one of his best outings, and he remained in the majors as a reliever, allowing five runs in four innings in extended relief in his most recent outing.
Yorke was the number 14 prospect in the Red Sox system in Baseball America’s latest rankings. He was drafted 17th overall in the 2020 draft out of high school, and has made it to Triple-A this season. Yorke is hitting .310/.408/.490 in 169 plate appearances at the Triple-A level, with six homers and six stolen bases. He started the year in Double-A, batting .351/.325/.366 with four homers and eight steals. His offense improved last year, after making an adjustment with his hand positioning. He’s further improved this year, reducing his strikeouts from 24% to 18%, and putting it all together recently in Triple-A.
Baseball America grades Yorke as a potential above-average hitter with fringe-average power. He grades as an average fielder at second base, with his value being limited by below-average speed and a fringe-average arm. Despite the below-average speed, he’s smart on the bases, stealing 14 in 17 attempts this year. Overall, he’s a fringe-average starter who could play up, depending on how the bat adjusts.
The Pirates need second base help after Nick Gonzales went down with a groin injury. Yorke adds to their depth, joining Jared Triolo, Ji Hwan Bae, and Alika Williams as options. All three of those players have struggled during their time in the majors. Meanwhile, Yorke has the highest upside of the group, and is hitting well in Triple-A.
Priester didn’t have prospect eligibility, but will likely have six more years of control beyond this season. Yorke would have the same if he’s called up this year. This is as close to a prospect-for-prospect deal as they come, with the Pirates trading from their strength of pitching to add to their weakness at the plate. They could follow this move by bringing Yorke straight to the majors for his debut in his age 22 season, helping to fill the current need at second base.
UPDATE 2:21 PM: Andrew Destin of the Post-Gazette reports the Pirates will wait until after the trade deadline to assign Yorke in their organization. There is only one game between now and the deadline, so he could be added to the Major League club after the deadline.
UPDATE 2:28 PM: Alex Speier of the Boston Globe had a story on Yorke in June, detailing some of the changes he made this year to lead to the improved offense. Last year, Yorke adjusted his hand position above his head, while trying to pull the ball for power. This year, he lowered his hands, and set his sights on driving the ball to right-center on a line drive approach. The approach feels more natural to Yorke, allowing for solid contact to all fields. The results in Triple-A speak for themselves.
UPDATE 2:54 PM: The Pirates have officially announced the deal, and have sent Yorke to Triple-A.
