Brewers swing surprising early season trade for exciting young pitcher from Red Sox

In desperate need of starting pitching help, the Milwaukee Brewers are trading for right hander Quinn Priester from the Red Sox. In return, the Brewers are parting ways with their seventh ranked prospect, Yophery Rodriguez, as well as a 2025 Competitive Balance Round A pick and a player to be named later. Grant Wolfram, who still has yet to make his MLB debut and was called up to the major-league roster on Sunday, has been designated for assignment to make room for Priester on the 40-man roster.

Originally drafted out of high school by the Pirates as the 18th overall pick in the 2019 MLB draft, Priester was traded to the Red Sox at last year's trade deadline for infielder Nick Yorke. Priester has made just 21 appearances and 15 starts in the majors, posting an ERA of 6.23. However, as a former first round pick with six years of team control remaining, Priester's upside is apparent.

A sinker/slider specialist, Priester generates a ton of ground balls. According to Baseball Savant, he ranked in the 95 percentile in ground ball rate in 2024, getting opposing hitters to hit the ball on the ground nearly 60% of the time. Priester won't overpower hitters with his fastball, averaging just 93.1 MPH on both his sinker and his four-seam fastball, but with the addition of a cutter that he threw just 1% of the time last year, he does have the ability to throw three fastball shapes, which the Brewers front office has prioritized in their recent acquisitions.

Although Priester started the year in Triple-A, he will immediately slide in to the Brewers rotation and could make a start as early as Wednesday, with the team yet to announce a starter for the second game of their series against the Rockies. He threw 87 pitches last Thursday, meaning he would be working on five days rest if he pitches on Wednesday.

Brewers send top outfield prospect Yophery Rodriguez to Boston for starting pitching help

The Brewers are parting ways with their 19-year-old top outfield prospect, Yophery Rodriguez in order to acquire Priester. Originally signed as an international free agent in January of 2023, Rodriguez played the entire 2024 season in Low-A and posted a solid slash line of .250/.343/.383. With his excellent track record and a strong showing in spring training, Rodriguez was assigned to High-A to start the 2025 season. Rodriguez is still several years away from his MLB debut, but the success he has had at such a young age and the raw talent that he possesses indicate that he will be a solid major leaguer at some point.

The Brewers are also sending a Competitive Balance Round A pick to Boston in the deal. The Comp A round, as it is colloquially known, occurs in between the first and second rounds of the MLB draft. You might remember the Brewers drafting Tennessee first-baseman Blake Burke in last year's draft with the Comp A pick they acquired from the Orioles in the Corbin Burnes trade. The Brewers still have four of the first 68 picks in this years draft after sending one to Boston, but the loss of this pick will affect the amount of money that the organization has to sign their draft picks.

It's a lot to give up, and that's without knowing who the player to be named later will be, but the Brewers add a much needed starting pitcher to the mix, and one that will impact the team for several years to come. With the help of the Brewers excellent pitching department, Priester could be a main stay in Milwaukee's rotation for the foreseeable future.

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