Oviedo and Garcia are at the heart of the deal on both sides. The 27-year-old Oviedo is a 6-foot-1 right-hander who has been a capable back-end starter since the Pirates acquired him at the 2022 trade deadline. He was a swingman for the Cardinals for his first few seasons but has transitioned to a full-time rotation role for the Bucs. Oviedo picked up the ball 32 times and was second on the team with 177 2/3 innings pitched in 2023. He posted a 4.31 earned run average with slightly worse-than-average strikeout and walk rates.
Although Oviedo remained healthy throughout the ’23 season, he reported soreness in his elbows at the end of the year. That turned out to be a precursor to the Tommy John surgery that wiped out his 2024 campaign. Oviedo had a chance to return for the start of ’25, but suffered a lat strain during the build-up early in Spring Training. He was out for a few months and didn’t make his season debut until early August. He carried the ball nine times and posted a 3.57 ERA over 40 1/3 innings.
Oviedo’s return was a mixed bag. He posted a career strikeout rate of 24.7% while hitting at a solid 11.7% clip. The stuff looked as sharp as it did before his back-to-back arm injuries. Oviedo averaged 95.5 MPH on his fastball and had good results on both an upper 80s slider and a lower 70s curveball. The slider has been an asset throughout his career and had a bit more movement on the side of the glove. His height also allows him to stretch over seven feet, so his already above-average speed should increase.
While there are clearly things we like, Oviedo remains a work in progress. He walked three in seven of his nine starts and completed free passes at an unsustainable rate of 13.5% overall. That inefficiency kept him from working deep into games. Oviedo pitched just once in the sixth inning and did not complete six full frames in any outing. It’s fair to expect some rust in his command after an 18-month absence, but throwing strikes has always been an issue. Oviedo routinely posted double-digit walk rates in the minors and issued free passes at a 10.6% rate over a full season in 2023.
The other question is whether he can handle left-handed hitters. His changeup is a clear fourth pitch. Lefties posted a solid .244/.341/.436 line with 14 home runs in 419 at-bats a few years ago. Oviedo had much better results against lefties in 2025 (.151/.259/.301), but that came in a small sample size with an unimpressive strikeout-to-walk ratio of 19:11.
Oviedo has more than four years of MLB service. He is under arbitration control for two seasons and is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz at a salary of $2 million. He still has a minor league option remaining and is not required to open the season on the active roster. He will exceed the five-year service threshold if he spends an additional 93 days on the active roster or the big league injured list. The Sox would no longer be able to send him to the minors without his consent at that point.
They hope this won’t be a consideration. They liked Oviedo so much that they gave up one of their best minors in terms of hitting talent, gambling that they could achieve another level of consistency in the process. That suggests he has a good chance of falling behind Garrett hook, Son Gray And Brayan Bello in Alex Cora’s rotation. The Sox should be welcome Cuts Crawford And Patrick Sandoval back from injury. Outlook Payton Tolle And Connelly asked debuted late in the season while a former top prospect Kyle Harrison remains in the mix.
Garcia, 23 next week, should get at-bats every day in Pittsburgh. He didn’t have a clear path to playing time in a crowded outfield in Boston, but projects as a starting left fielder for the Pirates. The right-handed hitter got a cup of coffee at Fenway Park last August and allowed one hit and two walks over nine at-bats. Otherwise, he split the season between the top two levels of the minor leagues.
Known for his excellent nickname “The Password,” Garcia combined 21 home runs with a robust .267/.340/.470 batting line over 489 plate appearances. It’s strong winning production for a 22-year-old, though the Sox may have had concerns about his approach. The Venezuelan native posted a 29.1% batting average while chasing more than 35% of pitches outside the strike zone during his 81 Triple-A games. The pure hitting tool is a red flag, but he has hit 20 home runs in consecutive minor league seasons.
Baseball America gave Garcia above-average power and bat speed by recently ranking him as the #6 prospect in the Boston system. BA writes that Garcia is a useful defensive midfielder, despite only having average speed. It’s probably better suited in the opposite corner Bryan Reynolds but could on the days he played in the middle Oneil Cruz is not available.
The Pirates will control Garcia for at least six seasons. He still has a few minor league options, so they have no problem sending him back to Triple-A if his approach needs further refinement. There are some parallels with last winter’s takeover Spencer Horwitz and the 2024 Quinn Priester/Nick Yorke deadline swap (also with the Red Sox). Pittsburgh leverages their rotation depth for a controllable bat at the highest level. Garcia may have the highest ceiling of that trio, and this certainly won’t be the only addition to the winter lineup for GM Ben Cherington and his staff.
While it is primarily an Oviedo/Garcia framework, the teams have also traded a few prospects. Samaniego, who turns 27 in January, could potentially play a role in the Boston bullpen next season. The former 15th-round pick threw 26 1/3 innings of 3.08 ERA ball at the Double-A level this year. He fanned 28% of opponents with a walk rate of less than 6%. Pittsburgh selected him to the 40-man roster last month to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. He still has a lot of options and will likely be ticketed to Triple-A Worcester.
Guzman, who turns 22 today, was Pittsburgh’s fifth-round pick this summer for the University of Arizona. The right-handed hitting catcher has played just one game in Low-A. Baseball America called him more arm strength and some power to left field in their draft report. He is a long-term development player behind the dish.
The Pirates are finalizing their side of the deal with Travieso. He is an 18-year-old right-hander who signed with Boston as an amateur from Venezuela in 2024. Listed at 5’11” he has yet to attract much potential attention, but he shut down nearly 32% of opponents in seven games in Low-A late in the season.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported that the Red Sox and Pirates agreed to a five-player deal involving Oviedo and Garcia. Robert Murray of FanSided reported the entire trade. Respective images courtesy of Charles Leclaire and Daniel Kucin Jr., Imagn Images.
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