Nothing like a five-player swap to get your offseason started, eh? That’s what Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cheringto did for his first major move of the winter.
The Pirates traded right-handed pitcher Johan Oviedo, minor-league lefty Tyler Samaniego and catcher Adonys Guzman to the Boston Red Sox for outfielder Jhostynxon García and right-handed pitching prospect Jesus Travieso.
It’s a bold move from Cherington, and while it will take some time to see if it ultimately pays off, this trade looks like a good one for the Pirates.
García, who is also known as “The Password,” is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 85 prospect in baseball and is now the Pirates fifth-best prospect. The native of Venezuela has spent five seasons in the Red Sox organization and carries a .261/.351/.465 batting line with 67 doubles, 21 triples, 55 home runs, 209 RBI and 42 steals in 370 games.
This past season, García, who turns 23 years old next week, totaled 81 games at Triple-A and hit .271 with an .833 OPS, 12 doubles, three triples, 18 home runs and 58 RBI. He made his MLB debut with the Red Sox in August and went 1 for 7 with a double and two walks in five games.
Since the start of the 2024 season, García led Red Sox full-time minor-league players in average (.277), hits (234), home runs (44), RBI (141), OBP (.348), slugging (.502), OPS (.850), runs (157) and total bases (425).
The scouting report on García? Big power and a solid defender with a strong arm. The Pirates needed to add more Major-League ready power after finishing last in baseball in home runs in 2025 by a wide margin. Although the Pirates ideally would add left-handed power, García’s thunderous right-handed swing is impressive. You can find visual proof below.
The Password is “unreal”. 109.1 exit velo, 415 feet.
Jhostynxon Garcia with another home run. He’s 3-for-3 with two homers and four RBI tonight.
The Boston Red Sox prospect is hitting .302 (.934 OPS) with 11 homers and 31 RBI since being promoted to Triple-A. pic.twitter.com/rbMWqATuja
— Hunter Noll (@Hunter_Noll) July 23, 2025
In addition to what he offers at the plate, García should be a capable defender. With Oneil Cruz in center and Bryan Reynolds in right, he could slot in nicely in left field, though the Pirates aren’t ruling out adding another outfielder, according to a source.
García might not have a high batting in the big leagues. He has a strikeout rate north of 24% for his minor-league career. But he has the ability to get on base in addition to possessing legitimate power.
As for the pitching prospect the Pirates are getting, Travieso is an 18-year-old right-hander listed 5-foot-11 and 140 pounds. He split the 2025 season between the Florida Complex League and Low-A and combined to go 3-3 with a 3.06 ERA. In 64.2 innings, he allowed 57 hits, walked 36 and struck out 90.
Despite his small frame, Travieso has a power arm and throws a fastball that can touch the upper-90s. He compliments the pitch with a slider and a changeup — both of which need to be developed — and operates out of a three-quarters arm slot.
But the prize of the return is undoubtedly García, who the Pirates will have control over through at least the 2031 season.
While it’s somewhat surprising to see the Red Sox part with García, it makes sense considering how crowded their outfield is. Even without García, Boston Still has Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela and Masataka Yoshida as options in the outfield.
Even though Oviedo has been a solid big-league pitcher during his tenure with the Pirates, landing a controllable outfield prospect with the upside of García seems like a worthwhile trade. The 27-year-old Oviedo is arbitration-eligible this offseason and will again be next winter before reach free agency following the 2027 season. Samaniego, who was added to the 40-man roster last month and Guzman, who was just drafted this past summer, are two complementary pieces.
By trading Oviedo, the chances of the Pirates dealing fellow starting pitcher Mitch Keller are likely lessened but shouldn’t be completely ruled out. If the Pirates trade Keller, they will rely on five pitchers with two or fewer years of big-league experience given how the roster is currently constructed.
If the season started today, the Pirates would be looking at a rotation consisting of Keller, Paul Skenes, Mike Burrows, Braxton Ashcraft and one of Bubba Chandler, Hunter Barco or Thomas Harrington. Without Keller, that’s an awfully inexperience rotation, even if it’s led by the reigning National League Cy Young winner.
Even if they hold onto Keller, the Pirates could look to add a veteran starting pitcher as they’ve done each offseason under Cherington’s watch.
While the Pirates have plenty left to do this winter, Thursday night’s trade looks like a good start. But it’s only a good start if they build off it.
The Pirates need more offense and should be looking to add at least two established bats. They also need help in the bullpen and should be looking for a veteran starter in some capacity.
But overall, this is a trade the Pirates should feel good about and helps them paint a clearer picture of what needs to be done during the rest of the offseason.
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