A former Pirates prospect faced off against his former team for the first time since they traded him.
Quinn Priester was on the bump for the Boston Red Sox when Pittsburgh played the American League East side at LECOM Park on Tuesday. The right-hander pitched 2 2/3 innings against his former club, striking out four batters and giving up one run off as many hits.
Priester is trying to earn a role in Boston, but the 24-year-old didn’t forget his roots.
“Nick Gonzales, Jason Delay, Ji Hwan Bae, Ke’Bryan (Hayes), Cutch (Andrew McCutchen) and Bryan Reynolds. All those guys I’ve learned a lot from, or are really close with,” Priester told reporters after his start, per Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “It is fun to compete against your friends.”
Bae got the better of Priester when the 25-year-old hit a solo home run for the Pirates’ first run of Tuesday’s Grapefruit League action.
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The Pirates traded Priester before last year’s MLB trade deadline in exchange for Nick Yorke, who also is competing for a role on the major league roster during spring training. The early returns on the deal look fair for both sides as the prospects continue to impress in spring training.
Featured image via Bob DeChiara/Imagn Images