Why the Red Sox’s new pitcher could thrive in Boston after a trade from the Pirates

The Boston Red Sox entered the trade deadline expecting to make moves to bolster their 2024 team in the midst of the playoffs.

There’s still time to do that until 6 p.m. Tuesday, but Boston kept an eye on the future with a deal that included two former first-round picks.

The Red Sox acquired pitcher Quinn Priester from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday in exchange for infield prospect Nick Yorke. Boston dealt some depth and added another intriguing arm for Craig Breslow and Andrew Bailey to break down and improve in an internal pitching development program for the Red Sox.

Priester has all of his potential ahead of him. He’s just 23 years old after being selected by the Pirates in the first round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of high school. On the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic, the right-handed pitcher has started to make some progress.

more red sox

Who is Quinn Priester, the pitcher acquired by the Red Sox in a trade with the Pirates?

by Ricky Doyle
4 min read

Red Sox trade Nick Yorke to Pirates for promising pitcher

by Ricky Doyle
3 min read

The Red Sox’ newest arm has a career record of 25-15 in the minors while striking out more than one batter per inning with a 3.41 ERA. He has been productive at Triple-A Indianapolis while struggling at the MLB level for two seasons, posting a 6.46 ERA in 20 major league appearances and 14 starts.

Up until that point, the Red Sox did the right thing and sent him straight to Triple-A Worcester when the deal was done, literally changing Yorke from prospect to position in the Boston system.

What do the Red Sox hope to achieve with Priester?

Considering the philosophies Bailey brings to Boston’s staff, there’s reason to believe the Red Sox will appreciate Priester’s play on the mound.

Boston’s pitchers have moved away from throwing four-seam fastballs and prioritize throwing their best pitches most often and challenging hitters in the zone. Priester primarily runs a sinker-slider combination and relies on high groundball rate, quality off-speed stuff and expanding the zone against opponents.

The Red Sox are likely hoping Priester generates more swings and misses, and he struck out just six batters per nine innings during his MLB tenure with the Pirates. That may not fit his current profile, which is fine if he continues to generate weak contact and live on the ground by using his sinker as the primary pitch of the offense.

Boston needs to add more to a staff that needs arms before Tuesday’s trade deadline. Meanwhile, the Red Sox took a chance on an investment for the future, and perhaps the not-so-distant future.