Red Sox acquire RHP Quinn Priester from Pittsburgh; optioned to Worcester

Ale Xander

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I was hoping Yorke would be packaged into a bigger deal. Hope this Quinn has staying power
 

bosox1534

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Makes sense, he’s really young and controllable. Yorke never had a spot on this major league roster, so if you can get the full potential out of Priester this is a big win.
 

RedOctober3829

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deep inside Guido territory
Quinn Priester
Arbitration Eligible: 2027
Age: 23
Drafted 18th overall in the 2019 draft out of HS

2023: 3-3 7.74 ERA(6.74 FIP) and 1.70 WHIP in 10 appearances(8 starts). 50 IP, 58 H, 43 ER, 12 HR's, 36/27 K/BB
2024: 2-6 5.04 ERA(4.81 FIP) and 1.45 WHIPin 10 appearances(6 starts). 44.2 IP 52 H, 25 ER, 7 HR's, 31/13 K/BB
 

Yaz4Ever

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Quinn Priester
Arbitration Eligible: 2027
Age: 23
Drafted 18th overall in the 2019 draft out of HS

2023: 3-3 7.74 ERA(6.74 FIP) and 1.70 WHIP in 10 appearances(8 starts). 50 IP, 58 H, 43 ER, 12 HR's, 36/27 K/BB
2024: 2-6 5.04 ERA(4.81 FIP) and 1.45 WHIPin 10 appearances(6 starts). 44.2 IP 52 H, 25 ER, 7 HR's, 31/13 K/BB
His MiLB numbers are much better, but I'll wait to hear from the experts on this one.
 

Fishy1

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The reactions on here will be "he's got a 5 ERA!! What are we doing!!" Seems like adding depth to me. His statcast numbers suggest a 4.50 xERA, so averageish.

Definitely a Breslow/Bailey reclamation project. His changeup has been one of his better pitches, but he rarely throws it, he isn't throwing a sweeper yet, and he's been throwing a 4 seamer that's been getting crushed. So if I had to guess they're going to switch up his pitch mix, make him throw the changeup more, add a sweeper, and eliminate the 4 seamer. Probably he ends up with a mix like Houck where it's sweeper/slider 40% of the time, change-up twenty, sinker 40? Something like that, I don't know.

86318
 

pedro1918

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Preister was the 18th overall pick in 2019. Turns 24 in September. He has been pretty lousy for the Pirates, but he has potential. They need help, and as long as it isn’t Teel or Mayer, I’m open to it.

It’s Andrew Bailey time…
 

Cassvt2023

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Nick Yorke was a top 10 Sox prospect with a decent bat and a so so glove who was blocked in many ways. I guess this is where we go with the mantra, "In Breslow & Bailey we trust", because it is hard to see how Quinn Priester will help us reach the playoffs this season.
 

HfxBob

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Priester has been pitching multi-innings out of the pen for Pittsburgh lately.
 

gammoseditor

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He seems like the pitching version of Nick Yorke but a year older and more experienced. Former first round pick. Peaked as a back of the top 100 prospect.
 

RedOctober3829

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This move is more about the future than the present IMO. If Breslow and Bailey feel they can get more out of Priester and can be a piece for the future, more power to them. It's not about this year, it's about 2025 and beyond with this core. Although I'd like for them to make a push to make the playoffs because it would be good for the young players to play in October, we all know they aren't going to be a World Series contender this year.
 

SouthernBoSox

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This is the type of move you can make and sleep at night when...

A) You trust your pitching infrastructure
B) You have significant mIF depth

I don't love this move at all in a vacuum. But getting any arm with talent that is under control is going to cost something significant.
 

pjheff

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Nick Yorke was a top 10 Sox prospect with a decent bat and a so so glove who was blocked in many ways. I guess this is where we go with the mantra, "In Breslow & Bailey we trust", because it is hard to see how Quinn Priester will help us reach the playoffs this season.
Given his age and years of control, I wouldn’t look at this trade as geared solely at reaching the playoffs this season. It seems like a swap from organizational depth (middle infield) to address an area of organizational weakness (starting pitching in the upper minors).
 

Fishy1

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This is all Yorke goes for? My initial reaction is yikes, maybe big yikes.
We tend to overrate our own prospects and underrate others. Yorke hasn't played in the big leagues yet. Two months ago he was a guy with a wrc+ of 100 in AA, after a 116 the year before and an absolutely terrible year the year before that. Which is to say, a middling offensive prospect. He's had a hot streak in AAA which the Red Sox capitalized on. I'd honestly be pretty shocked if Yorke turns into anything substantial. I'd guess he's maybe a utility player.

I think they sold him at the right time, and they got a young pitcher with years of control whose had a rough introduction to the big leagues. I trust Breslow and Bailey see something in his pitch mix to work with.
 

Big Papi's Mango Salsa

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The reactions on here will be "he's got a 5 ERA!! What are we doing!!" Seems like adding depth to me. His statcast numbers suggest a 4.50 xERA, so averageish.

You won't hear that reaction from me. Adore this deal.

Priester has a lot of prospect pedigree (at least per BA and MLB), and is extremely young. He's pitched 95 big league innings, so he's clearly not prospect eligible, but if he were, he'd absolutely be the top ranked pitching prospect in the system (he's almost a full calendar year younger than Fitts). He has a 5 pitch mix, and I tend to think that is a profile that Bailey and Breslow can work really well with in the lab. I tend to agree with the characterization of "averagish" right now, but this team could really use some "averageish" starting pitching depth - and this one has a ton more upside than getting "averageish" pitching from someone like Michael Lorenzen.

As @Yaz4Ever alluded to, Priester has been excellent in AAA this year with a 3.21ERA (2.85 FIP) and an excellent k/bb ratio (5.14). There is a lot to be excited about here.

In my mind the Sox basically just traded a top 15 in their system prospect that was pretty well blocked for a top 7 prospect in their system and top pitching prospect that just happens to have 95MLB innings pitched. I like it.
 

Fishy1

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You won't hear that reaction from me. Adore this deal.

Priester has a lot of prospect pedigree (at least per BA and MLB), and is extremely young. He's pitched 95 big league innings, so he's clearly not prospect eligible, but if he were, he'd absolutely be the top ranked pitching prospect in the system (he's almost a full calendar year younger than Fitts). He has a 5 pitch mix, and I tend to think that is a profile that Bailey and Breslow can work really well with in the lab. I tend to agree with the characterization of "averagish" right now, but this team could really use some "averageish" starting pitching depth - and this one has a ton more upside than getting "averageish" pitching from someone like Michael Lorenzen.

As @Yaz4Ever alluded to, Priester has been excellent in AAA this year with a 3.21ERA (2.85 FIP) and an excellent k/bb ratio (5.14). There is a lot to be excited about here.

In my mind the Sox basically just traded a top 15 in their system prospect that was pretty well blocked for a top 7 prospect in their system and top pitching prospect that just happens to have 95MLB innings pitched. I like it.
Yeah, I'm on the same page as you. He's got tremendous potential and also immediately shores up their bullpen.

Here's his game long. He was on a pretty good run there until the last 4 inning debacle against Arizona.

86320
 

ElcaballitoMVP

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Priester has options left, so they could send him to AAA and get him into the pitching lab.

We'll see how this pans out, but the Sox dealt from a position of strength to address one of weakness, so I'm not going to complain. I was a bit surprised when I first saw the deal, but the more time I have to digest it, the more it's growing on me.
 

Seels

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I wasn't a believer in Yorke being a contributer to the big league team really ever, he was about to be rule 5d this year - I totally support this even if you get next to nothing out of Priester.

Yorke had very little long term upside.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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We tend to overrate our own prospects and underrate others. Yorke hasn't played in the big leagues yet. Two months ago he was a guy with a wrc+ of 100 in AA, after a 116 the year before and an absolutely terrible year the year before that. Which is to say, a middling offensive prospect. He's had a hot streak in AAA which the Red Sox capitalized on. I'd honestly be pretty shocked if Yorke turns into anything substantial. I'd guess he's maybe a utility player.

I think they sold him at the right time, and they got a young pitcher with years of control whose had a rough introduction to the big leagues. I trust Breslow and Bailey see something in his pitch mix to work with.
I assume most if not all teams have a guy like Yorke. Maybe he’s got the goods but a year from now he could easily be a guy who has plateaued or failed to adjust or whatever else happens to prospects and suddenly he’s available for a bag of balls.

Between Mayer, Campbell, Grissom, and hell even Meidroth, this remains a position of depth for the system and that doesn’t even account for the Romeros, Zannatellos, and Andersons of the world still finding their footing.
 

Brianish

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Seems like this year's market inefficiency is players from my friends' teams. If this keeps up, we're definitely getting Skubal from the Tigers.
 
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BaseballJones

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Yeah, I'm on the same page as you. He's got tremendous potential and also immediately shores up their bullpen.

Here's his game long. He was on a pretty good run there until the last 4 inning debacle against Arizona.

View attachment 86320
Ehhhh.. I see those numbers differently. I see a guy who got off to a good start (3.31 era through his first three games) but in his last 7 games has put up a 6.04 era and 1.55 whip.

On the bright side, over those 7 games, he has a 3.61 fip, so he's doing *something* right.
 

Fishy1

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I assume most if not all teams have a guy like Yorke. Maybe he’s got the goods but a year from now he could easily be a guy who has plateaued or failed to adjust or whatever else happens to prospects and suddenly he’s available for a bag of balls.

Between Mayer, Campbell, Grissom, and hell even Meidroth, this remains a position of depth for the system and that doesn’t even account for the Romeros, Zannatellos, and Andersons of the world still finding their footing.
100%. And don't forget the guys at the big league level. They haven't touched the Gold Dust Boys yet (Hamilton, Valdez, or Romy) ;)

Ehhhh.. I see those numbers differently. I see a guy who got off to a good start (3.31 era through his first three games) but in his last 7 games has put up a 6.04 era and 1.55 whip.

On the bright side, over those 7 games, he has a 3.61 fip, so he's doing *something* right.
Yeah, don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want to read too closely into his game log, I just thought it might be interesting for folks to peruse.
 

Mugsy's Jock

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Agree with @RedOctober3829 above -- seems like a pretty good reallocation of resources to get a promising arm for a blocked middle infielder... but doens't do much to help this year's team. Hopefully another move to come. I'd take Luis Garcia at this point.
 

LogansDad

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I wasn't a believer in Yorke being a contributer to the big league team really ever, he was about to be rule 5d this year - I totally support this even if you get next to nothing out of Priester.

Yorke had very little long term upside.
I agree. In 2026 at the latest we are looking at an infield of Devers - Mayer - Story/Grissom - Casas and an outfield of Duran - Rafaela - Anthony/Campbell. Yorke has nowhere to play on this team long term. This is exactly the kind of move this front office should be making for the long term.

I still want them to trade for help for this year's team, though.
 

BaseballJones

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100%. And don't forget the guys at the big league level. They haven't touched the Gold Dust Boys yet (Hamilton, Valdez, or Romy) ;)



Yeah, don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want to read too closely into his game log, I just thought it might be interesting for folks to peruse.
And don't get ME wrong. I'm intrigued. I think Yorke can end up being a solid MLB player, but the Sox dealt from a position of abundance to get something they have precious little of - a young pitcher with real upside.
 

Ale Xander

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I agree. In 2026 at the latest we are looking at an infield of Devers - Mayer - Story/Grissom - Casas and an outfield of Duran - Rafaela - Anthony/Campbell. Yorke has nowhere to play on this team long term. This is exactly the kind of move this front office should be making for the long term.

I still want them to trade for help for this year's team, though.
Could have been UT/DH/PH type
 

8slim

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Yeah, I'm on the same page as you. He's got tremendous potential and also immediately shores up their bullpen.

Here's his game long. He was on a pretty good run there until the last 4 inning debacle against Arizona.

View attachment 86320
Potential, sure. Immediately shores up the pen? Disagree on that one.

He’ll pitch. Not sure it’ll be well.
 

chawson

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I like this a lot. Priester looks like a ball of clay to play around with. Yorke isn't the guy we thought he'd be in 2021 but there's no path to playing time here.

Eric Longenhagen at Fangraphs said in 2023 that Priester "projects like a no. 4/5 on a contender," which would be a very nice outcome.
 

SouthernBoSox

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Agree with @RedOctober3829 above -- seems like a pretty good reallocation of resources to get a promising arm for a blocked middle infielder... but doens't do much to help this year's team. Hopefully another move to come. I'd take Luis Garcia at this point.
Chase Anderson has thrown 52 innings for this team. I think this is a pretty significant upgrade over Chase Anderson.

Edit: This feels like a classic "Get the guy before the breakout" move. Given the age, options, and service time, if Priester is even just an okay pitcher, this is a good move.
 

Big Papi's Mango Salsa

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This move is more about the future than the present IMO. If Breslow and Bailey feel they can get more out of Priester and can be a piece for the future, more power to them. It's not about this year, it's about 2025 and beyond with this core. Although I'd like for them to make a push to make the playoffs because it would be good for the young players to play in October, we all know they aren't going to be a World Series contender this year.
Agree - but most importantly, I think it's BOTH.

This team is in desperate need of arms at present (which again makes sense as it's not August yet and Hocuk has already blown through his career high in innings pitched, and Kutter Crawford is just 7ip away from his career high (and both absolutely have looked like that recently). Priester has the ability to do something right now that Nick Yorke never could - pitch at the MLB level.

Then, as you mentioned, it's a great move for the future. Long term you're adding the best "pitching prospect" to the system (if people will allow that guys with less than a full season are still really "prospects") and probably the guy in the system with the highest potential on the mound as well. I really think they need to find ways to get Crawford and Houck some extra rest if they want to have any shot at making a playoff run, and even this year Priester will help them do that (a 4.48xERA; 4.80FIP) starter is roughly a 4/5 right now - for comparison Michael Lorenzen is a 4.72/5.15, respectively; Paxton is 4.85 and 4.96.

It's an "alright" add for the now but excellent potential for the long term. Hock, Crawford, Bello, Priester is a pretty interesting looking top 4 next year and for the next several. Looks even better if they actually do spend on an ace to front that top 4.
 

MetSox1

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I don't hate the trade from a Rays - development - buy low for a guy we like perspective.

I abhor this trade because I believed Yorke was going to have to be in a package if we were to land a significant SP or righty bat at the deadline. Now if breslow has something else lined up, or if the teams we were working to trade with have no interest in Yorke then this is fine again, and I'll likely never know the answer to that. But if this is a sign that we're not going to make a big splash here and that our version of "buying" was never about competing this year, I'll be pissed. Both because I had kind of gotten excited about this team when they went on their heater into the ASB, and because we missed a selling opportunity that could have fed prospects into the system.

And no, I don't think this team is a legitimate contender without a splashy trade for a starter and a right handed bat.
 

PrometheusWakefield

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His 2023 Fangraphs profile makes him sound like a candidate for abandon the four seam:

Priester’s four-seamer is divisive. It comes out of his hand from a high arm slot that looks like the kind optimized for data-friendly ride, but the pitch’s downhill angle makes it less of a weapon at the letters and actually makes it very vulnerable within the strike zone. Perhaps as an adjustment to deal with this issue, Priester now mixes in plenty of fastballs for which he pronates on release, giving the pitch screwball-like spin. Its bat-missing capabilities are limited to the bottom arm-side portion of the zone, where this two-seam-ish fastball tends to finish. Many scouts are champing at the bit over Priester’s prototypical frame and four- or five-pitch mix, depending on whether you consider his fastballs two distinct pitches. Quants and front office analyst types are more bearish, citing issues with Priester’s fastball playability. His fastball velocity is down, in the 92-94 mph range, a far cry from Priester’s upper-90s peak. In 2022, it garnered just 8% whiffs and 13% chase during his time at Double-A, where he spent most of the season. However, Priester makes up for it with his preferred secondaries — a huge, arcing curveball that Priester has had forever, and a more recently developed mid-80s slider — both of which have garnered swing-and-miss rates well above the big league average. Neither his slider nor changeup is fully baked quite yet, but if either (or both) become viable, they would bring with them a higher probability that Priester slots in as a mid-rotation starter. Here he’s projected as a no. 4/5 on a contender
 

Petagine in a Bottle

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I’m intrigued. As others have said, what’s he’s done so far at the big league level is irrelevant- have to think the brain trust thinks there’s more here. Based on the assets they have and lack, this seems like a worthwhile trade, albeit the kind of one teams rarely make.
 

mikcou

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I don't hate the trade from a Rays - development - buy low for a guy we like perspective.

I abhor this trade because I believed Yorke was going to have to be in a package if we were to land a significant SP or righty bat at the deadline. Now if breslow has something else lined up, or if the teams we were working to trade with have no interest in Yorke then this is fine again, and I'll likely never know the answer to that. But if this is a sign that we're not going to make a big splash here and that our version of "buying" was never about competing this year, I'll be pissed. Both because I had kind of gotten excited about this team when they went on their heater into the ASB, and because we missed a selling opportunity that could have fed prospects into the system.

And no, I don't think this team is a legitimate contender without a splashy trade for a starter and a right handed bat.
Nick Yorke was never going to be so central to package for a significant starter that he cant easily be replaced. I think you worry about something that was not in the realistic hypothetical range of outcomes.
 

Salem's Lot

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I don't hate the trade from a Rays - development - buy low for a guy we like perspective.

I abhor this trade because I believed Yorke was going to have to be in a package if we were to land a significant SP or righty bat at the deadline. Now if breslow has something else lined up, or if the teams we were working to trade with have no interest in Yorke then this is fine again, and I'll likely never know the answer to that. But if this is a sign that we're not going to make a big splash here and that our version of "buying" was never about competing this year, I'll be pissed. Both because I had kind of gotten excited about this team when they went on their heater into the ASB, and because we missed a selling opportunity that could have fed prospects into the system.

And no, I don't think this team is a legitimate contender without a splashy trade for a starter and a right handed bat.
I doubt that Nick Yorke was going to be the piece that got the deal done for a significant starting pitcher or righty bat.
 

Bosoxman2004

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This also seems to indicate a belief and a confidence boost by the brain trust in Grissom also. Young, controllable pitching is what this team needs! Old regimes had a tendency to ship out players like Yorke for rentals to make a run at the playoffs in one year. I like these types of deals MUCH more!
 

DanoooME

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I like this deal a lot and I'm a fan of Yorke. As mentioned before, Yorke doesn't really have a future on this team and Priester is a good candidate for changing his pitch mix and making a jump in effectiveness.
 

BeantownIdaho

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">According to <a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal?ref_src=twsrc^tfw">@Ken_Rosenthal</a>, it looks like the Red Sox are still looking at starters on the trade market. <br><br>“At least 10 teams continue to have some level of interest in starters – the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Guardians and Houston Astros in… <a href="https://t.co/LvivDre0lk">pic.twitter.com/LvivDre0lk</a></p>&mdash; Tyler Milliken ⚾ (@tylermilliken_) <a href="View: https://twitter.com/tylermilliken_/status/1817994589791232028?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
">July 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 

TomRicardo

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I don't hate the trade from a Rays - development - buy low for a guy we like perspective.

I abhor this trade because I believed Yorke was going to have to be in a package if we were to land a significant SP or righty bat at the deadline. Now if breslow has something else lined up, or if the teams we were working to trade with have no interest in Yorke then this is fine again, and I'll likely never know the answer to that. But if this is a sign that we're not going to make a big splash here and that our version of "buying" was never about competing this year, I'll be pissed. Both because I had kind of gotten excited about this team when they went on their heater into the ASB, and because we missed a selling opportunity that could have fed prospects into the system.

And no, I don't think this team is a legitimate contender without a splashy trade for a starter and a right handed bat.
What do you think Nick Yorke was going to get you?

Quinn Priester is one year removed from being a top 100 prospect. This is a fabulous pick up. Priester is 50 IP removed from being our top pitching prospect and fourth overall. He leaves too pitches high in the zone right now but if he can have a quarter of the success Kutter and Houck have had here, Priester could be a top line pitcher. I would put him over Bello going forward.
 
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Red(s)HawksFan

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On top of what has already been said, I believe that Yorke was a Rule 5 candidate, in which we would have lost him for nothing. Correct?
*Could* have lost him, not would have. Though as simplicio says, if they held on to him into the winter, they 100% would have added him to the 40-man.

Yorke strikes me as much more a Michael Chavis type prospect than someone who's going to break out and be a perennial All Star type. I very much doubt that Breslow gave him away for less than he was worth. We likely have an inflated sense of what he could actually yield on the trade market.