On July 29, the day before the 2024 MLB trade deadline, the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates swapped former first-round picks.
The Red Sox shipped No. 6 prospect infielder Nick Yorke to Pittsburgh in exchange for once-top-100 prospect Quinn Priester, a righty starter. Priester has pitched in the big leagues in each of the last two seasons and Yorke is yet to make his MLB debut.
Yorke showed significant improvements in his play with Boston's minor league system this year. He advanced from Double-A to Triple-A after 45 games and only hit better at the next level. He slashed .251/.325/.366 with a .691 OPS in Portland and .310/.408/.490 with a .898 OPS in Worcester.
His skill in Triple-A brought his trade value to an all-time high. The Red Sox would've been wrong to wait any longer to move the young infielder.
The Red Sox traded top prospect Nick Yorke at the right time
Quinn Priester is exactly the type of arm Boston should be looking to acquire. Former 1st rd. pick under team control until 2030. SP build, throws strikes & generates GBs. 5-pitch mix: 4s, sinker, SL, CB, CH. Would expect the Sox to tweak his arsenal & play more to his strengths. pic.twitter.com/DHUySYBfeX
— Ian Cundall (@IanCundall) July 29, 2024
Boston's farm system is loaded with middle infield talent — there are four shortstops, one of them also a second baseman, in the Red Sox's top 10 alone. Boston also traded Chris Sale for Vaughn Grissom this season, a shortstop by trade who will be the organization's second baseman for the foreseeable future. He's under contract until the 2029 season, and with him and top prospect Marcelo Mayer nearing MLB readiness, there wouldn't be a place for Yorke on the big league roster of the future.
Given the circumstances, Priester is a great return for Yorke. The righty is just 23 years old and Andrew Bailey and the rest of Boston's coaching staff have plenty of time to develop his arsenal to MLB readiness. He's posted a 5.04 ERA with 31 strikeouts and 13 walks in 44.1 major-league innings this year and a 3.21 ERA with 36 strikeouts and seven walks in 33.2 innings in Triple-A.
Priester was optioned to Worcester after his move to the Sox, and he'll likely stay there this season. The Red Sox need their most seasoned arms in the big leagues as they fight for a wild card spot this year.
In the meantime, he'll work to improve his arsenal and the Red Sox organization will fine-tune it to play to his strengths. Yorke is a great player and he'll be a solid infielder anywhere he plays. Priester is a quality return that better suits the Red Sox's needs, and this exchange could pay dividends for a long time.