The Boston Red Sox have made at least one controversial transfer before the July deadline.

When baseball boss Craig Breslow traded promising second baseman Nick Yorke to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for promising pitcher Quinn Priester, not everyone was happy about the move.

Yorke, selected 17th overall by Boston in the 2020 draft, has delivered nothing but results since the trade, which could be a potentially unfortunate sign for Breslow and the Red Sox front office.

On the other hand, Breslow’s counterpart in the Yorke deal – Priest – is showing early signs of excellence that could erase any regrets about his signing.

As Katie Morrison O’Day of MassLive reported, Priester had a dominant performance for the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox on Friday night.

“Priester, who joined the Red Sox last month in exchange for Nick Yorke, delivered one of the best five innings of pitching the WooSox have seen all season on Friday night,” O’Day said.

“Priest was incredibly efficient in his five innings, requiring only 42 pitches (29 strikes) and allowing just two baserunners… The former first-round draft pick was back in full form after his first start in the last home game at Polar Park was a disaster… He looked much better in his second outing… Priest stormed the strike zone and averaged less than 8 1/2 pitches per inning.”

According to WooSox manager Chad Tracy, Priest’s main focus right now is speed.

“The biggest focus with Quinn right now is getting him back and getting some speed back,” Tracy said, according to O’Day. “His stuff is really good. When he was first drafted by the Pirates and came through their system the first few years, I think there was speed, which I think made him attractive. We know that’s in there.”

Priest himself also spoke about speed following his first successful appearance with the Red Sox.

“I think speed is a big component and that’s something we’ve really focused on since we moved here,” Priest said. “I’m going to continue to do that and continue to improve.”

Priest will always inevitably be linked with Yorke throughout their respective careers, at least in the eyes of Red Sox fans. Both players are showing signs of being able to contribute at the major league level.

When and how this will happen remains a mystery.

In Priester’s case, there is an obvious need for pitchers in the major leagues right now, meaning his opportunity to advance could come sooner than most expect.

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