Brewers GM Matt Arnold Explains Why Top-10 Prospect Was Traded To Red Sox

The Milwaukee Brewers made a surprising move on Monday, trading their No. 7 prospect, outfielder Yophery Rodriguez, to the Boston Red Sox for right-hander Quinn Priester, along with the No. 33 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft and a player to be named later or cash considerations.

While trading a highly-ranked prospect for a pitcher with a 6.23 ERA seems unusual, general manager Matt Arnold explained the logic behind the decision.

“Having that kind of experience at a young age – how many guys have we seen come up to the major league level and hit a roadblock over the years with us?” Arnold asked the media, as transcribed by MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. “Whether that’s (Brandon Woodruff) or Corbin Burnes or Freddy (Peralta), they all hit bumps along the way and they were all extremely talented."

“That’s what we believe we’re getting, not to put any unfair pressure on the kid here. But he really does have a great arm with a lot of good ingredients. There's a lot to like here. From all accounts, he is a really cerebral kid and open to making adjustments.” Arnold continued.

Right now, the Brewers need hurlers due to many injuries to their pitching staff. Arnold believes in Priester and aims to get his major league career back on track -- as Milwaukee has been known to do.

Adding a starting pitcher to the roster is a smart move by the front office, but throwing in a draft pick was questionable. At face value, Priester may not warrant what the Brew Crew had to give up to get him, but he does have the potential to turn into a crucial part of Milwaukee's pitching staff.