A season that is already throwing its fair share of curveballs, the Boston Red Sox’s latest trade to the Milwaukee Brewers has caught fans off guard. If anything, this trade has made everyone stop mid-scroll, double-check the headline, and wonder if it’s even real. Turns out, it is. What initially came out as a bold move has now ignited serious backlash across Red Sox Nation.

The Red Sox have traded their 24-year-old pitcher, Quinn Priester, to the Brewers. What’s surprising about this trade deal is that, not too long ago, Boston acquired him from the Pittsburgh Pirates in July. Boston swapped infield prospect Nick Yorke for Priester. And what did they get for passing him on? In return, the Brewers have traded off their outfielder Yophery Rodriguez—their No. 7 prospect. Additionally, the Red Sox received a Competitive Balance Round A draft pick and a player to be named later.

This spring, he had a chance to compete for a spot in the Red Sox rotation after injuries sidelined Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito. However, Priester didn’t help his case with inconsistent performances during spring training, posting a 4.82 ERA and a high 2.250 WHIP in four starts. When rookie Richard Fitts and veteran Sean Newcomb outperformed him, he was ultimately sent down to Triple-A Worcester.

When Boston needed an emergency starter on Sunday, they called up top prospect Hunter Dobbins instead of Priester. Dobbins pitched well, allowing just two earned runs in 5.0 innings against the Cardinals. This showed the Red Sox trusted him more than Priester for the time being. Priester’s MLB journey has been full of ups and downs. His only big league start for the Red Sox came last September when he allowed one earned run over 5.0 innings. Since then, he’s struggled to find his footing.

Meanwhile, the Brewers are desperate for pitching help due to injuries to several key players. Although Priester’s recent struggles make it hard to see him as a reliable option for now, he’s certainly a prospect for now. As for the Red Sox, acquiring Rodriguez wasn’t any risky bet; it was a downright strategic investment for the Red Sox. The 19-year-old outfielder has a .254 batting average, 13 home runs, and a .769 OPS. His impressive numbers at such a young age point to his unrealized potential.

Moving forward, Priester, joining their active roster, will wear a Brewers uniform as the team will open their series in Colorado. To make room for him on the 40-man roster, Grant Wolfram, the Brewers’ right-handed reliever, will be designated for assignment.

For now, trading Priester to the Brewers has triggered divided opinions and speculations from both the fanbases. While fans firmly believe this was a wrong move, it all comes down to whether this trade pays off for both teams.

The Red Sox Fans’ divided opinions on Priester’s trade

It’s true that nobody saw this coming—the trade of Priester for Rodriguez. Not that both the players are any less talented, but their trade-off has just invited chaos for the Red Sox Nation and the Brewers both. There were some who tried to make sense out of it from the front office’s point of view, but most of them were simply disappointed.

One fan collectively summed up the mood of the Brewers and Red Sox fans:

After all, it’s just been a few months since the Red Sox got him on the roster. Trading him off this season was naturally confusing for everybody. And if not confusing, it was subtly disappointing:

This trade will be placed in a grey area for the time being. Not dreadful, but definitely not exciting. Some were simply scratching their heads on why the idea of trading Priester came to the Red Sox:

This is coming from a recent electric performance of the 25-year-old Dobbins. After his remarkable outing, there were speculations raised about his potential debut in a doubleheader. It’s a possibility that the front office saw enough potential in him to simply prioritize him over Priester. The Brewers fans were equally frustrated with this trade:

The Brewers fans are no strangers to Milwaukee’s trading style. And this one? Was just another name added to a growing list that’s fueling speculations about whether the team is actually rebuilding or self-sabotaging itself. And then came the short and loaded reaction that wrapped the entire situation in a bow:

It’s true that Dobbin’s recent outing made a significant impact, but that’s a bold claim. The backlash on this trade isn’t going away anytime soon. Till then, let’s hope for sooner clarity on how these two perform in their new teams.