Red Sox Trade Right-Hander Quinn Priester to Brewers for Outfield Prospect and Draft Pick

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Pitcher Quinn Priester is set to join the Brewers from Boston in exchange for Red Sox outfield prospect Yophery Rodriguez, a competitive balance draft pick, and another unnamed player.

Priester’s acquisition provides much-needed relief to a Brewers pitching lineup plagued by injuries. Notably, left-hander Nestor Cortes recently landed on the injured list due to a flexor strain in his throwing elbow, leaving Freddy Peralta as the lone healthy member of what was envisioned as Milwaukee’s starting five this season.

On the other hand, Boston gains a promising 19-year-old talent for its farm system, along with the 33rd overall selection in this year’s amateur draft.

Quinn Priester, age 24, accumulated a 3-6 record with a 4.71 ERA over seven starts across 11 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Red Sox last season. He tallied 33 strikeouts against 14 walks in 49 2/3 innings.

In addition, he managed a 4-2 record with a 4.38 ERA during 16 starts at the Triple-A level. This season, in his only outing with Triple-A Worcester, he delivered six strikeouts, no walks, and surrendered two runs on six hits over four innings.

The Pirates originally drafted Priester as the 18th overall pick in 2019, later trading him to the Red Sox last July in exchange for infielder Nick Yorke.

Rodriguez joined the Brewers from the Dominican Republic in 2023, showcasing a .250 batting average with a .343 on-base percentage, seven home runs, and 60 RBIs over 110 games with Single-A Carolina last season. In the current season, he boasts a .417 batting average and a .462 on-base percentage over three games with Single-A Wisconsin.

Priester will head straight to the Brewers instead of taking a detour through the minor leagues. The Brewers’ injured list is extensive, including Aaron Ashby, Aaron Civale, Robert Gasser, DL Hall, Nick Mears, Tobias Myers, Brandon Woodruff, and Cortes. Meanwhile, Jose Quintana is currently working to get back into pitching form after securing a one-year, $4.25 million contract with the Brewers during spring training.

To accommodate Priester on the 40-man roster, Milwaukee has designated left-hander Grant Wolfram for assignment.