MLB spring training is in full gear, meaning it won't be much longer before Boston Red Sox fans know who will officially be on this year's 40-man roster.
Although fans have a good idea of who'll be on the final squad, certain roster spots are still up for grabs — especially when it comes to pitching. Starting pitchers Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford are both dealing with injuries that have left them in danger of missing Opening Day 2025, leaving the door open for a lower-ranked pitcher to step up.
Right-handed hurler Quinn Priester is one of those names, and he recently revealed a major offseason change he made to help improve his Red Sox roster odds.
Red Sox News: RHP Quinn Priester Consumed Over 4,000 Calories Daily
In Wednesday's interview with MassLive's Christopher Smith, Priester revealed that gaining weight was one of his main offseason priorities. To achieve that goal, the 24-year-old RHP tried to "consume 4,000-5,000 calories a day" and wound up gaining about 10 pounds by eating "three meals and drank two protein shakes a day."
"The Red Sox staff really helped me with understanding that if I don't get it in from the meal side of things, it's not that big of a deal," Priester said. "If I keep forcing it, it gets frustrating and almost nauseating. But when you can add the shakes and be deliberate with a morning and night shake, there's 1,500 calories knocked out of the way."
Red Sox starter and 2024 trade deadline addition Quinn Priester consumed 4,000-5,000 calories a day this past offseason with some home cooking ... and he's much stronger heading into 2025: https://t.co/eKt6rTZsdU
— Christopher Smith (@SmittyOnMLB) February 27, 2025
Priester said he spent the offseason trying to consume calories any way he could, whether that was eating home-cooked meals with his wife or crushing a box of Cheez-It crackers. Whatever could help him improve his pitching strength and durability, he was open to it.
"Calories are calories," Priester admitted. "Especially in the offseason, we're trying to put it on and make that stable."
Priester has been with the Red Sox since just before last season's trade deadline. The Glendale Heights, IL native was drafted 18th overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019 but was traded to Boston last July in exchange for veteran infielder Nick Yorke.
The 6-foot-3 righty spent most of the 2024 campaign's final stretch with Triple-A Worcester, going 1-1 while pitching to a 5.40 ERA and 1.252 WHIP across nine starts.
Although those minor-league numbers are far from promising, Priester showed flashes of potential when he finally made his Red Sox debut. He allowed one run on four hits while striking out four batters across five innings in a 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sept. 29, leaving fans to speculate if he has what it takes to eventually crack the rotation.
Priester's next chance to improve his Opening Day odds will come when he starts against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday. The Red Sox's next spring training game can be viewed at 1:05 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Philadelphia+.