Brewers' Quinn Priester trade officially finalized on draft night

Every year, extra compensatory draft picks are awarded to the smallest market and lowest revenue teams in MLB. The picks, which are meant to offset some of the financial discrepancy that exists in baseball, occur in one of two "Competitive Balance" rounds. The Competitive Balance Round A falls in between the first and second rounds of the draft, whereas the Competitive Balance Round B occurs after the second round and prior to the third. A formula that includes revenue, winning percentage, and market score is used to determine which teams receive a competitive balance pick, but once the teams are selected, the order in which they pick is determined purely by where they finished in the previous year’s standings.

Of the teams that were awarded a Competitive Balance pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, the Milwaukee Brewers had the best season in 2024, and as such, they were awarded the first of the Competitive Balance Round A picks, which falls at the 33rd overall pick this year.

However, on April 7, the Brewers traded their Competitive Balance pick — which are the only draft picks that can be traded — to the Boston Red Sox alongside prospect Yophery Rodriguez and a Player to Be Named Later (PTBNL) for Quinn Priester. In early May, the PTBNL was named as the Brewers' 2024 fifth round pick, starting pitcher John Holobetz, who was off to a hot start in the Milwaukee's farm system and has continued to find success since joining the Red Sox' organization.

Just moments ago, Boston selected Marcus Phillips, a right-handed starter from the University of Tennessee, with the 33rd pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, officially completing the Brewers and Red Sox' early-season swap.

Quinn Priester trade officially complete after the Boston Red Sox select Marcus Phillips with the 33rd overall pick in the draft

At the time of the trade, it was tough to stomach the trade package that the Brewers were sending away. Acquiring a controllable, former first-round starting pitcher was never going to be cheap, but the combination of the team's top-ranked outfield prospect, a PTBNL who ended up being a promising pitching prospect, and what is essentially a first-round pick felt like a lot for Priester, who had yet to put it all together at the big-league level.

After Priester's first few starts, the deal became even tougher to justify, as the 24-year-old right-hander was sporting an ERA of 5.79 and wasn't showing much of an ability to strike batters out, while also allowing a high number of walks.

However, in mid-May, on a dime, Priester turned things around. In his last 12 starts, Priester hasn't lost a game, while posting a 2.76 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. During that stretch, he's walking just 6% of the batters he faces while posting an eye-popping ground ball rate of nearly 60%. Priester looks like a viable middle-of-the-rotation starter who has finally tapped into the potential that made him an early round selection just six years ago.

Meanwhile, the Boston's return looks somewhat underwhelming up to this point, though the recent selection of Marcus Phillips could help lessen the frustration that Red Sox fans hold as Priester finds success in the big leagues. Rodriguez, who was the main piece of the Brewers trade package, has been disappointing since joining Boston's farm system. In 67 games with the Greenville Drive, the Red Sox' High-A affiliate, Rodriguez has posted a meager .651 OPS, but his high walk rate and low strikeout rate should offer some hope. Meanwhile, Holobetz, who has still been a solid starter since changing organizations, has seen his WHIP increase by 0.33 and his strikeout rate decrease by 6% in the Red Sox' minor league system.

Marcus Phillips is an exciting talent — he can touch 100 mph with his fastball and possesses an elite 90 mph changeup. However, Phillips only began appearing as a starting pitcher for the Volunteers this year, and question marks exist with his command. He had some trouble with both walks and HR this season, allowing 34 free passes and 11 long balls in 83 innings for Tennessee in 2025.

In the end, the Brewers give up their No. 7 overall prospect, a 2024 fifth-round pick, and a 2025 draft pick that holds some uncertainty for Priester. For now, it looks like a solid deal for the Brewers, but with Boston completing the trade tonight, with their selection of Phillips, it will now be easier to analyze how this trade ages for both sides.