The Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates pulled off a sneaky-fascinating trade Monday.
Both teams dealt from an area of depth to address a weakness, swapping former first-round picks in a move that could have significant long-term implications depending on how each player develops in the coming years.
The Red Sox acquired pitcher Quinn Priester, the 18th overall pick in 2019, in exchange for infield/outfield prospect Nick Yorke, the 17th overall selection in 2020.
Priester, 23, struggled at the MLB level with Pittsburgh since debuting last season but has an excellent track record in the minors. Yorke, 22, has yet to make his big-league debut but revitalized his stock this season split between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester.
ESPN’s David Schoenfield graded the trade. He gave the Red Sox a “C” and the Pirates a “B-,” perhaps because Yorke might be able to solve Pittsburgh’s second-base problem almost immediately whereas Priester is more of a buy-low gamble for Boston.
“The Red Sox have done well with pitchers who don’t live and die on four-seam fastballs up in the zone, so maybe they see something they can work with here,” Schoenfield wrote. “The Red Sox have to upgrade their fifth starter, although the recently acquired James Paxton will get a shot there, so maybe Priester runs out to the bullpen for now with a longer-term idea of giving him another opportunity to start. The fastball profile doesn’t scream ‘reliever,’ but the Red Sox’s bullpen has a 6.39 ERA in July, so they need depth there as well.”
The Red Sox optioned Priester to Worcester after Monday’s trade. It’ll be interesting to see when he joins Boston and how he’s deployed, particularly if the Red Sox are unable to address their rotation and/or bullpen before Tuesday’s trade deadline.
Yorke will report to Triple-A Indianapolis following the trade. The Pirates just placed second baseman Nick Gonzales on the injured list, though, so there’s a natural opening if/when Pittsburgh deems Yorke is ready for The Show.
