The Boston Red Sox made a surprising trade in early April when they shipped pitcher Quinn Priester to the Milwaukee Brewers. In return, Boston received cash considerations, a player to be named later, a Competitive Balance Round A draft pick, and prospect Yophery Rodriguez.
The Competitive Balance Round A draft pick itself already felt like a fantastic deal for a pitcher who was buried on the depth chart. Getting Rodriguez, the seventh-ranked prospect in Milwaukee's system, was incredible icing on the cake.
What adds to the fun is Rodriguez's performance. The left-handed hitting outfielder is slashing .227/.382/.409 with two doubles, four triples, and two homers. He's driven in seven runs, scored eight more, and stolen three bases. Rodriguez has also drawn 21 walks compared to 20 strikeouts.
Yophery Rodriguez, one of the Red Sox's newest prospects, is turning heads early in High-A
Yophery Rodriguez ranked No. 14 in the Brewers system prior to his trade to the Red Sox.
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) April 7, 2025
Here are a couple defensive plays in CF ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/9phF8K7QdM
While the average isn't anything to write home about, the on-base percentage is phenomenal. Rodriguez looks like an intriguing top-of-the-order bat who will set the table for the heavy hitters and give them someone to drive in.
Meanwhile, he's impacting games with more than just his bat. We've already seen Rodriguez make spectacular plays in the field, which include sliding grabs and phenomenal throws.
Priester has been decent for Milwaukee over six appearances. He's posted a 5.08 ERA with 20 strikeouts and 19 walks in 28.1 innings. He started off hot with a 1.93 ERA in his first three outings, but he's cooled down lately.
Injuries to Walker Buehler and Richard Fitts had some Sox fans thinking they could've used the extra starting depth Priester provided. They got an amazing return for the pitcher, but a hefty majority of it won't show results for a while.
Rodriguez is the piece that can give fans hope now, and he's doing just that. He's still a ways away from the big leagues, but Sox fans should keep an eye out to see if he can crack the Red Sox's outfield alongside their other top prospects.