Former Boston Red Sox Top Prospect Working to Earn Starting Job with Pittsburgh Pirates

Former top prospect Nick Yorke is reportedly working to learn a new position this spring, and he's hoping it leads him to a starting role with his new team.

Yorke was drafted in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox and traded to the Pirates at the trade deadline last season. Originally a second baseman, he's working to learn right field.

Per MLB.com:

The Pirates acquired Nick Yorke and Billy Cook at last year’s Trade Deadline. Yorke has the higher pedigree -- the first Pirate off Pipeline's Top 100 prospect list -- but is a second baseman by trade and may not be able to be an everyday outfielder defensively.

We'll have to see how Yorke takes to the position when Pirates position players report for spring training in just under two weeks. With Boston, Yorke got as high as the No. 55 prospect in the sport (2022, per MLB Pipeline).

Lifetime, Yorke is a .284 hitter in the minor leagues. After last year's trade, he hit .355 in 40 games for Triple-A Indianapolis. He did make a brief cameo at the major league-level, hitting .216 in 11 games. The Pirates would undoubtedly like his bat in the lineup, but they don't have room for him in the infield consistently. They just signed Adam Frazier to play second base.

The Pirates are coming off a season that saw them finish last in the National League Central. They haven't made the playoffs since 2015 but there are some reasons for optimism considering the group has one of the best young pitching tandems in baseball in Paul Skenes and Jared Jones.

Top pitching prospect Jared Jones isn't far off either.