Me too. He's very young, but his numbers are pretty meh on first blush.I was hoping Yorke would be packaged into a bigger deal. Hope this Quinn has staying power
His MiLB numbers are much better, but I'll wait to hear from the experts on this one.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
Thanks for that, good to know. Passan just said right handed starter.Priester has been pitching multi-innings out of the pen for Pittsburgh.
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).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.
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.This is all Yorke goes for? My initial reaction is yikes, maybe big yikes.
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.
Yeah, I'm on the same page as you. He's got tremendous potential and also immediately shores up their bullpen.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.
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.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.
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.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
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)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.
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.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.
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 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.
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.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.
Could have been UT/DH/PH typeI 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.
Potential, sure. Immediately shores up the pen? Disagree on that one.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.
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Chase Anderson has thrown 52 innings for this team. I think this is a pretty significant upgrade over Chase Anderson.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.
Maybe Flaherty. He's been scratched for tonight in prep for a trade.Seems like this year's market inefficiency is players from friends' teams. If this keeps up, we're definitely getting Skubal from the Tigers.
Agree - but most importantly, I think it's BOTH.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.
Good call, I forgot about him.Maybe Flaherty. He's been scratched for tonight in prep for a trade.
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
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.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.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.
Only if they hadn't protected him, which they absolutely would.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?
What do you think Nick Yorke was going to get you?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.
*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.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?