Pirates Strike Deal With Red Sox For Elite Prospect Ahead Of Trade Deadline

The Pittsburgh Pirates have made their first major move ahead of the July 30th trade deadline.

Pittsburgh made a deal on Monday with the Boston Red Sox which will send Pirates starting pitcher Quinn Priester to the Red Sox and second baseman and outfielder Nick Yorke to the Pirates according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

“Trade news: The Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates are finalizing a deal that will send right-handed starter Quinn Priester to Boston and infield prospect Nick Yorke to Pittsburgh, sources tell ESPN.”

Priester appeared in 20 games for the Pirates at the big league level over the past two seasons, starting 14. Over that time, Priester was 5-9 with a 6.46 ERA across 94 2/3 innings. Although he hasn’t had the greatest start to his career, at 23, he still has time to develop with the Red Sox. 

In return for Priester, the Pirates get 22-year-old second baseman and outfielder Nick Yorke. The 2020 first-round pick was highly ranked in the Boston farm system but has yet to appear in the majors. He was Boston’s No. 6 prospect before the deal. In Triple-A this season, Yorke slashed .310/.408/.490. He is on the doorstep of the majors, mainly playing second base with some experience in left field as well. By placing him on the 40-man roster before next offseason, Pittsburgh can keep him out of the Rule-5 draft.

With the injury to Nick Gonzales and the need for offensive production, Yorke may be seeing some time playing for Pittsburgh shortly as the Pirates fight for a playoff spot. One thing is for sure, the Pirates landed a prospect with great potential.

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