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george castillo
boston red soxAcquired a right-hander, trying to strengthen their starting rotation johan oviedo From pittsburgh pirates In the five-player trade that announced the outfield prospect jostinxon garcia For Pittsburgh, teams were announced Thursday.
The Pirates also acquired minor league right-hander Jesus Traviso and sent minor league left-hander tyler samaniego And catcher Adonis Guzman went to Boston.
Oviedo, 27, joins the Red Sox days after the club acquired the right-hander sonny gray From St. Louis Cardinals For two players. Gray is an established 13-year veteran with a 3.60 ERA in 330 career starts. Oviedo has intriguing equipment which has made him an attractive option in the trade market. He will remain under the control of the team till 2027.
The 6-foot-6 Oviedo has a mid-90s fastball that reaches 98 mph. His arm extension ranked in the 98th percentile last season. In 2023, his slider was one of the leading pitches in terms of run value calculations.
But inconsistency and injuries have plagued Oviedo’s major league career. He has an 11% walk rate for his career. He missed the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and his 2025 debut was postponed until August after suffering an injury during spring training. Oviedo recorded a 3.57 ERA when he returned, posting 42 strikeouts and 23 walks in 40⅓ innings in nine starts. He pitched once in the sixth inning.
Oviedo has tallied a group of starting pitchers that includes an AL Cy Young runner-up Garrett Crochetgrey, brian bello, cooter crawford And patrick sandoval,
Garcia, whose first name is called a password because it is difficult to spell, made his major league debut on August 22 at Yankee Stadium. He went 1 for 7 with a double and two walks in five games before being demoted to Triple-A Worcester.
A native of Venezuela, García hit .267 with 21 home runs and an .810 OPS in 114 games between Double-A and Triple-A – 83 in center field. He was Boston’s No. 3 prospect in ESPN insider Kiley McDaniel’s August rankings, but the Red Sox have a surplus of capable every-day major league outfielders, sedan rafela, roman anthony, jerren duran And willier abreu On the roster.
Pirates have more rotation depth led by National League Cy Young Award winner Paul SkenesBut they are looking to improve the offense this offseason. Garcia is projected to get an opportunity to compete for an everyday role for a club that ranked last in the majors in runs scored in 2025, giving him a spot in the outfield alongside the center fielder. oneil cruz and right fielder brian reynolds,
