The Boston Red Sox have acquired another starting pitcher ahead of the MLB Winter Meetings, but they had to trade one of their top prospects to do so.Outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia, a Top 100 prospect in all of baseball according to MLB Pipeline, was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates as part of a deal to land right-handed pitcher Johan Oviedo.The Red Sox also acquired left-handed pitcher Tyler Samaniego and minor league catcher Adonys Guzman from the Pirates. Pittsburgh also received minor league right-handed pitcher Jesus Travieso from Boston.Garcia, 22, played a combined 63 games for the Portland Sea Dogs, Boston’s Double-A affiliate, over the past two seasons. With the Sea Dogs, the right-handed batter nicknamed “The Password” hit .260 with nine doubles, three triples, five home runs, six stolen bases, 27 runs batted in and 33 runs scored.”We loved having ‘The Password’ as a member of the Sea Dogs. We wish Jhostynxon Garcia the best of luck as he continues his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization,” the Sea Dogs organization said in a social media post.Garcia was promoted to Triple-A Worcester in May and made his major league debut with Boston on Aug. 22. He played five games for the Red Sox, hitting one double in seven at-bats with two walks before being sent back down to Worcester on Aug. 29.In his time with Portland and Worcester in 2025, Garcia batted .267 with 21 home runs and 75 RBI. He was the No. 3 prospect in Boston’s minor league system, according to MLB Pipeline.Oviedo, 27, has pitched in 81 career major league games with 67 starts across five seasons, two and a half each with the St. Louis Cardinals (2020-22) and the Pirates (2022-23, 2025). He has a career record of 15-26 with a 4.24 earned run average and 321 strikeouts in 361 innings pitched.The Cuba native missed the entire 2024 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Oviedo also had a right elbow injury and right lat strain in 2025, which limited him to nine starts with the Pirates. He went 2-1 with a 3.57 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings pitched in those starts.In his last full season in 2023, Oviedo posted a 9-14 record with a 4.31 ERA and 158 strikeouts across 177 2/3 innings while making a team-high 32 starts with the Pirates.Samaniego, 26, pitched in 30 minor league games between Single-A, High-A and Double-A in 2025 and posted a 3.99 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings pitched. The Alabama native is on the Red Sox’s 40-man roster because the Pirates selected him to their 40-man roster on Nov. 18.Guzman, 22, made his professional debut on Sept. 6 for Single-A Bradenton, less than two months after he was drafted in the fifth round by the Pirates. The New York native played two collegiate seasons at the University of Arizona (2024-25) after playing one season at Boston College in 2023. In the summers of 2023 and 2024, Guzman played for the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League.Travieso, 18, pitched for the Florida Complex League Red Sox and Single-A Salem in 2025. The Venezuela native posted a 3.06 ERA with 90 strikeouts in 64 2/3 innings pitched across 19 games, including 16 starts.To make room on their 40-man roster for Ovideo and Samaniego, the Red Sox designated right-handed pitcher Cooper Criswell for assignment.Criswell, 29, spent the past two seasons with the Red Sox. He pitched in 33 games, including 19 starts, posting a 7-5 record with a 4.00 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 117 innings pitched.The Red Sox’s trade with the Pirates happened nine days after Boston acquired veteran starting pitcher Sonny Gray in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals.The MLB Winter Meetings will be held Sunday through Wednesday in Orlando, Florida. At last year’s Winter Meetings, the Red Sox acquired starting pitcher Garrett Crochet in a trade with the Chicago White Sox. Crochet was an All-Star for Boston in 2025 and finished second in the American League Cy Young Award voting.
BOSTON —
The Boston Red Sox have acquired another starting pitcher ahead of the MLB Winter Meetings, but they had to trade one of their top prospects to do so.
Outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia, a Top 100 prospect in all of baseball according to MLB Pipeline, was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates as part of a deal to land right-handed pitcher Johan Oviedo.
The Red Sox also acquired left-handed pitcher Tyler Samaniego and minor league catcher Adonys Guzman from the Pirates. Pittsburgh also received minor league right-handed pitcher Jesus Travieso from Boston.
Garcia, 22, played a combined 63 games for the Portland Sea Dogs, Boston’s Double-A affiliate, over the past two seasons. With the Sea Dogs, the right-handed batter nicknamed “The Password” hit .260 with nine doubles, three triples, five home runs, six stolen bases, 27 runs batted in and 33 runs scored.
“We loved having ‘The Password’ as a member of the Sea Dogs. We wish Jhostynxon Garcia the best of luck as he continues his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization,” the Sea Dogs organization said in a social media post.
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Garcia was promoted to Triple-A Worcester in May and made his major league debut with Boston on Aug. 22. He played five games for the Red Sox, hitting one double in seven at-bats with two walks before being sent back down to Worcester on Aug. 29.
In his time with Portland and Worcester in 2025, Garcia batted .267 with 21 home runs and 75 RBI. He was the No. 3 prospect in Boston’s minor league system, according to MLB Pipeline.
Benjamin B. Braun/Getty Images
Jhostynxon Garcia of the Boston Red Sox stands in the batter box during his MLB Debut against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the fourth inning on August 22, 2025 in New York City.
Oviedo, 27, has pitched in 81 career major league games with 67 starts across five seasons, two and a half each with the St. Louis Cardinals (2020-22) and the Pirates (2022-23, 2025). He has a career record of 15-26 with a 4.24 earned run average and 321 strikeouts in 361 innings pitched.
The Cuba native missed the entire 2024 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Oviedo also had a right elbow injury and right lat strain in 2025, which limited him to nine starts with the Pirates. He went 2-1 with a 3.57 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings pitched in those starts.
In his last full season in 2023, Oviedo posted a 9-14 record with a 4.31 ERA and 158 strikeouts across 177 2/3 innings while making a team-high 32 starts with the Pirates.
Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images
Johan Oviedo of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the fifth inning of a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on September 28, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Samaniego, 26, pitched in 30 minor league games between Single-A, High-A and Double-A in 2025 and posted a 3.99 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings pitched. The Alabama native is on the Red Sox’s 40-man roster because the Pirates selected him to their 40-man roster on Nov. 18.
Guzman, 22, made his professional debut on Sept. 6 for Single-A Bradenton, less than two months after he was drafted in the fifth round by the Pirates. The New York native played two collegiate seasons at the University of Arizona (2024-25) after playing one season at Boston College in 2023. In the summers of 2023 and 2024, Guzman played for the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Travieso, 18, pitched for the Florida Complex League Red Sox and Single-A Salem in 2025. The Venezuela native posted a 3.06 ERA with 90 strikeouts in 64 2/3 innings pitched across 19 games, including 16 starts.
To make room on their 40-man roster for Ovideo and Samaniego, the Red Sox designated right-handed pitcher Cooper Criswell for assignment.
Criswell, 29, spent the past two seasons with the Red Sox. He pitched in 33 games, including 19 starts, posting a 7-5 record with a 4.00 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 117 innings pitched.
The Red Sox’s trade with the Pirates happened nine days after Boston acquired veteran starting pitcher Sonny Gray in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals.
The MLB Winter Meetings will be held Sunday through Wednesday in Orlando, Florida. At last year’s Winter Meetings, the Red Sox acquired starting pitcher Garrett Crochet in a trade with the Chicago White Sox. Crochet was an All-Star for Boston in 2025 and finished second in the American League Cy Young Award voting.