The Red Sox, seeking to fortify their starting rotation, acquired right-hander Johan Oviedo from the Pirates in a five-player trade that sent heralded outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia to Pittsburgh, the teams announced Thursday.
The Pirates also received minor league right-hander Jesus Travieso and shipped minor league left-hander Tyler Samaniego and catcher Adonys Guzman to Boston.
Oviedo, 27, joins the Red Sox days after the club acquired right-hander Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals for two players. Gray is an established 13-year veteran with a 3.60 ERA in 330 career starts. Oviedo has tantalizing tools that made him an attractive option on the trade market. He will be under team control through 2027.
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At 6-foot-6, Oviedo features a mid-90s fastball that touches 98 mph. His arm extension ranked in the 98th percentile last season. In 2023, his slider was one of the best pitches in the majors as calculated by run value.
But inconsistency and injuries have plagued Oviedo’s major league career. He owns an 11% walk rate for his career. He missed the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and his 2025 debut was pushed to August after he suffered a lat injury during spring training.
Oviedo returned to record a 3.57 ERA, posting 42 strikeouts and 23 walks over 40⅓ innings in nine starts. He pitched into the sixth inning once.
He lengthens a group of starting pitchers that includes American League Cy Young runner-up Garrett Crochet, Gray, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval.
Garcia, nicknamed The Password for his difficult-to-spell first name, made his major league debut Aug. 22 at Yankee Stadium. He went 1-for-7 with a double and two walks in five games before he was demoted to Triple-A Worcester.
A Venezuela native, Garcia batted .267 with 21 home runs and an .810 OPS in 114 games (83 in center field) between Double-A and Triple-A. He was Boston’s No. 3 prospect in ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel’s August rankings, but the Red Sox have a surplus of capable every-day major league outfielders, with Ceddanne Rafaela, Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu on the roster.
The Pirates have excess in rotation depth, led by National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes, but they are looking to improve the offense this offseason. Garcia figures to have the opportunity to compete for an every-day role for a club that ranked last in the majors in runs scored in 2025, slotting into the outfield alongside center fielder Oneil Cruz and right fielder Bryan Reynolds.
