The Red Sox tapped into their middle infield depth once more to finalize a trade with the Pirates on Monday afternoon.
Boston traded infield prospect Nick Yorke to Pittsburgh in exchange for right-hander Quinn Priester. Yorke is the third young infielder the Red Sox have traded in the last three days, joining Eddinson Paulino and Cutter Coffey, who were sent to the Blue Jays along with righty Gilberto Batista for catcher Danny Jansen on Saturday.
Ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 14 prospect, Yorke, 22, had been hitting .310/.408/.490 with eight doubles, six home runs, 19 RBIs, 32 runs scored, six stolen bases, 24 walks, and 32 strikeouts in 38 games (169 plate appearances) for Triple-A Worcester this season, after being promoted from Double-A Portland in early June.
“He had a great season,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora about Yorke (as reported by MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith). “He’s a good player, but given our roster situation and organizational needs, we had to take advantage of this opportunity.”
Yorke was selected by the Red Sox with the 17th overall pick in the COVID-shortened 2020 draft from Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Calif. The Newport Beach native turned down a commitment to the University of Arizona by signing with Boston for $2.7 million. He debuted professionally in May 2021, impressively slashing .325/.412/.516 with 20 doubles, 14 home runs, and 62 RBIs in 97 games (442 plate appearances) between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville as a 19-year-old.
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Named the organization’s Minor League Offensive Player of the Year, Yorke entered the 2022 season ranked by Baseball America as the No. 31 prospect in the sport. However, injuries to his toe, back, and wrist limited him to 80 games with Greenville, where he batted .232/.303/.365 over 373 plate appearances. This drop in performance saw him fall off BA’s top-100 list, but he rebounded in the Arizona Fall League and posted a .268/.350/.435 slash line in 110 games (506 plate appearances) for Portland in 2023. He also played in the All-Star Futures Game and was named the Sea Dogs’ Most Valuable Player.
Yorke unexpectedly returned to Portland at the start of the 2024 season, batting .251/.325/.366 in 45 games (197 plate appearances). While his .691 OPS wasn’t impressive, he improved his swing decisions and hard-hit rate, leading to a promotion to Worcester on June 5.
This season, Yorke also played outfield for the first time in his professional career. Normally a second baseman, he made 11 starts in left field for the Sea Dogs and 15 for the WooSox, mainly to accommodate the rehabbing Vaughn Grissom.
With Grissom, David Hamilton, Enmanuel Valdez, Chase Meidroth, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell filling a crowded middle infield in the upper minors for the Red Sox, Yorke became expendable. The Red Sox capitalized on this depth to bolster their pitching by trading Yorke to the Pirates for Priester.
“In Quinn, we see a young starting pitcher with a lot of potential,” Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow told MLB.com’s Ian Browne. “He throws strikes, misses bats, and keeps the ball on the ground, which is a good foundation for rotation pieces. It’s tough to part with a player as talented as Nick, but we had a surplus of middle infield talent.”
Yorke, who turns 23 next April, will report to the Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis. If he isn’t called up for his major-league debut by the end of the season, he will need to be added to Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster this winter to avoid the Rule 5 Draft.