Red Sox Trade Deadline Acquisition Making Last-Minute Boston Debut, Alex Cora Hints

A glimpse of the future before the winter arrives

Sep 17, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (13) looks on against the Tampa Bay Rays during the fifth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

As the Boston Red Sox prepare themselves for another October without postseason baseball, all eyes will be on the starting pitching situation headed into the winter.

President of Baseball Operations Craig Breslow has pledged to focus on upgrading the rotation, but there's no telling what form those upgrades might take. Free agency competition will be stiff for the top names on the market, and the Red Sox have been loathe to spend big in the past few years.

So although fans might want a marquee name to join the rotation, it's possible the Red Sox's current internal options will have to shoulder the load. That includes some pitchers who have yet to pitch for the Red Sox at the big-league level.

Quinn Priester came over to the Red Sox in a deadline trade for infielder Nick Yorke, and has spent the two months since retooling his arsenal in Triple-A. But as the curtain falls on the season at Fenway Park, it appears Priester will get a very brief cameo in a Red Sox uniform.

According to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, manager Alex Cora said it is "likely" Priester will start the Red Sox's season finale on Sunday at home against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Though Priester has yet to officially be announced as the starter, it's hard to imagine who else might get the nod. Kutter Crawford makes his final start on Saturday, while Brayan Bello, Tanner Houck, Nick Pivetta, and Richard Fitts have all been declared done for the year.

Priester posted a 5.04 in 10 major-league outings with the Pirates this season, and has a 5.40 ERA in nine starts with Worcester since coming over in the trade. He's looked much better in September, though, posting a 2.45 in four starts while drastically increasing the whiffs on his slider.

Once a first-round pick, the 24-year-old Priester will be entering a turning point season in 2025. The Red Sox won't necessarily want to hand him a rotation spot in their quest for the playoffs, but he could force their hand with his performance. And that starts early with a quality outing on Sunday.

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