Red Sox Trade Top Outfield Prospect to Pirates for Pitcher Johan Oviedo

It’s the second time this offseason the Red Sox have made a trade for a starting pitcher.

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Johan Oviedo was traded to the Red Sox on Thursday. / Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Red Sox bolstered their starting pitching rotation on Thursday, having agreed to acquire right-handed starting pitcher Johan Oviedo in a trade with the Pirates.

The deal reportedly includes five players in total, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The highlight of the package Boston is sending to Pittsburgh is the Red Sox’s No. 3 prospect and top outfield prospect, Jhostynxon Garcia.

Oviedo, 27, made nine starts for the Pirates in 2025. He registered an ERA of 3.57 and had 42 strikeouts across 40 1/3 innings. Oviedo missed the entire ‘24 campaign and part of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. His last full season of work came in 2023, when he made 32 starts and had a 4.31 ERA.

In addition to Oviedo, the Red Sox will also receive left-handed pitcher Tyler Samaniego and catching prospect, 2025 fifth-round pick Adonys Guzman. The Pirates will also acquire another player alongside Garcia.

Garcia, 22, saw his first taste of MLB action in 2025, when he appeared in five games for the Red Sox. He struck out five times in a total of seven at-bats. Across 114 games in the minor leagues last season, he had a .810 OPS with 21 home runs and 75 RBIs.

Oviedo is now the second starting pitcher the Red Sox acquired this offseason. The team traded for Sonny Gray in late November, and now will add Oviedo to the mix, too.

---

More MLB on Sports Illustrated

feed