Boston Red Sox trade Nick Yorke to Pirates for pitcher Quinn Priester

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WORCESTER — After nearly two months of solid baseball with the WooSox, Nick Yorke is headed to … Indianapolis.

The Boston Red Sox infield/outfield prospect was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday in exchange for right-handed pitcher Quinn Priester.

Yorke played in 83 games this season for Double-A Portland (45 games) and Triple-A Worcester (38 games). The former first-round selection (No. 17 overall) in the 2020 First-Year Player Draft hit .278 with 16 doubles, 10 home runs and 46 RBI while making 54 starts at second base, 26 in left field and two as a designated hitter.

The 22-year-old, ranked No. 6 in the Sox roster by MLB.com, has been in fine form since his promotion to Worcester on June 5, hitting .310 with six homers and 32 runs in 145 plate appearances and 38 games.

“He has the ability to get stronger and run the baseball, and I think that’s something we want him to continue to do at the next level,” Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham said earlier this year. “We’ve watched Nick grow and mature and improve over the years. He wants to be an impactful big leaguer for years to come, and we feel the same way.”

The Red Sox have used Yorke’s strong season to bolster their pitching staff, as the organization faces a significant shortage of infielders and outfielders in its farm system.

Yorke will report to the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians.

“Nick is a strong offensive player and versatile defender in the minor leagues,” Pirates general manager Ben Cherington, who served as executive vice president and general manager of the Red Sox from 2011 to 2015, said in a team press release. “We are excited to add him to our senior-level group of players.”

Priester, 23, has pitched in 20 games (14 starts) with the Pirates (2023-24), going 5-9 with a 6.46 ERA. Selected by Pittsburgh in the first round (No. 18 overall) of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft, the right-handed pitcher was ranked a top-100 prospect by Baseball America in 2021 (No. 58) and 2022 (No. 88).

In addition to his 10 appearances for Pittsburgh this season, Priester has made seven starts for Triple-A Indianapolis, posting a 3-1 record with a 3.21 ERA, 36 strikeouts, seven hits and two home runs allowed in 33⅔ innings pitched.

The Red Sox have sent Priester to Triple-A Worcester, filling Boston’s 40-player roster.

—Contact Tommy Cassell at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44.

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