Well, we knew the Boston Red Sox had to deal from their outfield coffers eventually. This isn’t exactly the blockbuster deal most had in mind, but it certainly qualifies as the team’s second major trade of the offseason.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are getting top prospect Jhostynxon Garcia and 18-year-old pitcher Jesus Travieso in exchange for major-league starter Johan Oviedo and a pair of prospects, pitcher Tyler Samaniego and catcher Adonys Guzman. Oviedo has a career 4.24 ERA in 361 innings, though he only made nine starts in 2025 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. In order to make room on the 40-man roster for both Oviedo and Samaniego, the Red Sox designated pitcher Cooper Criswell for assignment.

Talk Sox will have a full breakdown of all the moving parts of this deal shortly, but the TLDR on each prospect:

Jesus Travieso is a teenager who signed as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2024. He looked good in his first taste of stateside ball in 2025, pitching to a 3.06 ERA and 3.15 FIP between the Complex League and Single-A. He’s got great stuff (31.8% strikeout rate) but lacks control and is very unpolished. A high-upside lottery ticket for the Pirates to develop.

Tyler Samaniego is a pitcher who has stalled at Double-A but was just protected from the Rule 5 Draft by the Pirates. He’s 26 and no longer a true prospect, but he struck out 27.8% of hitters while walking only 7.0% this past season. There’s a legitimate MLB relief arm in his profile if the Red Sox can help him induce fewer fly balls.

Adonys Guzman was a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft out of the University of Arizona. He slashed .328/.411/.496 in his final season in college and could move quickly up the ranks if he can hit like that while sticking at catcher.

As for the big pieces involved, Garcia is a tough loss to swallow. Affectionately known as “The Password”, the 22-year-old slugger had simply become superfluous in a loaded outfield in Boston. With Kristian Campbell also making the switch from the dirt to the grass, there just wasn’t any room for Garcia. The Pirates, who ranked dead-last in MLB in home runs this past season (by a country mile) will benefit greatly from his presence. He hit .267/.340/.470 with 21 home runs and a 116 wRC+ in the minors in 2025. He was even better in 2024, hitting 23 bombs and producing a ridiculous 149 wRC+. He is an excellent get for Pittsburgh, who took advantage of the Red Sox’s roster glut.

Oviedo is the prize returning to Boston, and he’s a fascinating piece to add to the puzzle. It was just months ago that the Pirates were touting him as a “big part of their future”; did something happen to where they soured on him? I would guess not, and instead just chalk this up to them dealing from a place of strength (starting pitching) to get some help at an area of weakness (competent hitting).

Standing at an intimidating 6’6″ and 275 pounds, Oviedo brings a lot of downhill force with him off the mound. At 27 years old and with two years of team control remaining, he currently resembles the favorite to handle the No. 4 spot in Alex Cora‘s rotation, as currently constructed.

He pitched to a 3.57 ERA in his return from TJ surgery this past season, though his xERA (4.19) and FIP (4.92) were not as optimistic about his comeback. He’s got good fastball velocity when healthy, though that’s been rare throughout his career — Oviedo has only completed 65+ innings in a season once, back in 2023 (when he threw 177 2/3). He’s got a five-pitch arsenal, though his movement profiles tend to overlap. You can be sure Andrew Bailey is just waiting to get his hands on Oviedo’s mix to help him tunnel and differentiate better.

As things stand, this feels like yet another set-up move following the Sonny Gray trade. Oviedo has a lot of upside, but little in the way of a floor. With the Winter Meetings on the horizon, don’t be surprised if the Red Sox add a third starting pitcher, and one who is better than both of their most recent additions.