Major League Baseball can be a cruel business. One former top Boston Red Sox prospect learned that the hard way last summer.
With their first-round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, the Red Sox surprised some by taking California high school infielder Nick Yorke. They signed Yorke to an under-slot bonus value of $2.7 million, enabling them to sign other prospects they might not have had the budget for otherwise.
Yorke gradually progressed through the minor leagues but was playing his best baseball in the Boston organization in 2024, excelling after his early-season promotion to Triple-A. Rather than giving him a shot at the big leagues, however, the Red Sox capitalized on his increased value.
In July, the Red Sox traded Yorke to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for right-handed pitcher Quinn Priester, who is a candidate to join the Boston starting rotation due to injuries to Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford. Yorke made his MLB debut with Pittsburgh in September and appeared in 11 games.
On Tuesday, the Red Sox faced the Pirates in spring training, and Yorke still seemed a bit hurt by his former organization’s decision to dump him. Simultaneously, he seems to be using the trade snub as motivation to succeed in Pittsburgh.
“They didn’t want me, and they wanted me over here, so I’m going to make the best of the opportunity over here,” Yorke said Tuesday, per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. “I could honestly care less what’s going on over there.”
“I felt like I was playing my best baseball and then to make it to the last level with an org and then get traded, it doesn’t feel great. But at the same time, the guys over here wanted me, and my goal was just to make (general manager Ben Cherington) make that the best trade he’s ever done in his life.”
Yorke, 22, slashed .216/.286/.378 with two home runs during his September call-up. He had an .898 OPS in 38 games with Triple-A Worcester last season before the trade, and continued that momentum with a .938 OPS in 40 games with Pittsburgh’s Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis.
If there’s any team that could use a breakout season from a young hitter, it’s the Pirates. And due to the balanced schedule, the Red Sox now see Pittsburgh for three games every season. It would be a surprise if those three games aren’t already circled on Yorke’s calendar for 2025.
