Nick Yorke brings solid, contact-oriented approach to Pirates organization

Former first round pick acquired in Quinn Priester trade

The Pittsburgh Pirates made almost the exact kind of trade you wanted to see, addressing a need by dealing from a position of strength.

It just wasn’t the player that most thought.

Quinn Pirester, a former first-round pick, was traded to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Nick Yorke, another former first-round pick.

The Pirates have some of the best pitching depth in baseball but lack hitting prospects, especially in the upper levels.

So, they got a former top-100 prospect in the middle of a resurgent season that has seen him make his way up to Triple-A. For a pitcher who has struggled in the majors, and unless he became a reliever, it was hard to find a spot in the team’s plans.