Nick Yorke

In a rare one-for-one challenge trade of post-hype prospects, Boston sent Yorke to Pittsburgh at the deadline in exchange for righty Quinn Priester. It was a welcomed change of scenery for Yorke, as the regime that drafted him had already been sacked, and he had no clear path to playing time with the Red Sox. The bat-first 22-year-old excelled for both Triple-A affiliates he played for, logging an identical 18.9 percent strikeout rate at both stops to go with averages over .300 (.310 and .355) and on-base percentages north of .400 (.408 and .431). Yorke's line-drive rates were higher than his flyball rates at Triple-A, which is a rarity and did not carry over in the majors, where he had a pristine 26.9 percent line-drive rate, a 30.8 percent flyball rate and a 15.4 percent barrel rate. He hits the ball hard enough and regularly enough to hit 20 homers over a full season if he's playing a prominent role. Yorke's willingness to be opportunistic on the bases (20 attempts in 89 games) gives him another path to value. It seems the Pirates are preparing Yorke for a super utility role, as he played six positions in 40 games for Indianapolis and four positions (second base, right field, third base, left field) in 11 games with the big club. He'll be eligible at second base to start the year.