Red Sox’s ‘Very Smart Trade’ Before Deadline Could Solve Huge Problem

The Red Sox and Pirates probably envisioned Nick Yorke and Quinn Priester being part of their respective long-term plans.

But player development and organizational needs often dictate trades, and Boston and Pittsburgh clearly saw an opportunity to help each other this week, leading to a fascinating swap of two former top 100 prospects.

Yorke, a first-round pick in 2020, went from the Red Sox to the Pirates, while Priester, a first-rounder in 2019, headed in the opposite direction.

"These are very, very similar prospects in terms of their overall industry value," The Boston Globe's Alex Speier said on the latest episode of NESN's "310 to Left" podcast. "And it makes a ton of sense because both organizations drew from areas of strength -- the Red Sox are loaded in terms of their middle infielders. ... They traded from strength to address deficiencies. And the Red Sox have a glaring deficiency when it comes to upper-levels potential starters."

Check out the video below to hear more from Speier and NESN's Tom Caron.

The Red Sox's farm system has improved significantly in recent years. The pipeline now features both quality and quantity, putting Boston in an enviable position while plotting its path forward for 2024 and beyond.

Starting pitching depth remains a need, though. The Red Sox don't have many young starters nearing the majors who project to make a sizable impact. Thus, flipping Yorke for Priester was a logical move, despite the former enhancing his stock of late and the latter experiencing some early struggles at the MLB level over the last two seasons.

"I think this was a very, very smart trade by both teams," Speier said. "I think they're good fits for where they're going."