Last week, the Pittsburgh Pirates made their first major move of the offseason, sending starting pitcher Johan Oviedo to the Boston Red Sox in a five-player trade.
The Pirates’ return included Jhostynxon Garcia, a top 100 prospect who’s Major League-ready after flourishing in the Red Sox’s loaded farm system.
This trade makes perfect sense for Pittsburgh, which has pitching to spare and desperately needs offense after ranking last in MLB in scoring last season.
Oviedo pitched well in his return from Tommy John surgery last year, going 2-1 with a 3.57 in nine starts last season. However, his career has been marked by injuries and inconsistency. Since debuting in 2020, he’s only had one season with more than 13 starts and 65 innings.
The veteran right-hander has also battled control issues throughout his career. He led the National League in hit batters in 2023 and has a career 4.4 BB/9 rate, contributing to his career 1.38 WHIP and 4.61 FIP.
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Those numbers would be more palatable if Oviedo had a higher upside and missed more bats, but his career 8.0 K/9 rate is below average.
He only has two years of team control remaining and is unpredictable on the mound, to the Pirates were wise to move on from him while he still had some trade value. Unless he suddenly transforms into an elite pitcher with Boston, they will likely win this trade.
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In return, Pittsburgh got one of the sport’s best prospects in Garcia, who’s now the organization’s No. 6 prospect overall and third-best position player prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. A 22-year-old outfielder with elite tools and six years of team control remaining, he’s exactly the kind of player the Pirates need to bolster their offense.
Garcia only has five games of MLB experience, so he still needs to prove himself. If he pans out, though, he has the potential to help anchor Pittsburgh’s lineup for years to come.
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Featured image via Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images