The Boston Red Sox recently bolstered their rotation by adding Sonny Gray in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals. Now, Craig Breslow has upgraded his starting pitching again in a trade with another National League Central team.
On Thursday, the Red Sox reportedly acquired Johan Oviedo from the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to ESPN insider Jeff Passan. The 27-year-old recently finished recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he has a 4.24 ERA in 81 career appearances (67 starts).
While Passan was the first to reveal the trade was being made and that the Pirates were receiving outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia, it was Robert Murray who first revealed the details of the trade.
“The Boston Red Sox are acquiring Johan Oviedo, Tyler Samaniego and Adonys Guzman from the Pittsburgh Pirates for Jhostynxon Garcia and Jesus Travieso, according to a source familiar with the deal,” Murray wrote in a post on X.
Garcia was the No. 3 prospect in the Red Sox system prior to the trade. The 22-year-old outfielder made his debut on August 22 and recorded seven at-bats in the majors while recording his first hit on October 28 against the Baltimore Orioles.
The other two players going back to Boston, plus the additional player going to Pittsburgh, are all unranked prospects.
This deal gives both teams a boost. Garcia was completely blocked in the Red Sox system with a logjam of outfielders, hence why the team is trying to trade Jarren Duran. On the other hand, Oviedo was not a guarantee to make the rotation out of spring training for the Pirates.
If Boston can get Oviedo to return to his old form, Breslow may have just gotten himself a steal to help solidify his starting rotation behind Garrett Crochet.
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