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Red Sox trade for Johan Oviedo, two prospects; send ‘The Password’ to Pirates
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- Red Sox trade for Johan Oviedo, two prospects; send ‘The Password’ to Pirates
The Red Sox acquired 27-year-old right-handed pitcher Johan Oviedo and two prospects in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday, sources confirmed.
Boston dealt power-hitting outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia, also known by his popular nickname “The Password ," and 18-year-old right-handed prospect Jesus Travieso to Pittsburgh.
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Tyler Samaniego , a 26-year-old lefty, and Adonys Guzman, a 22-year-old catching prospect, were the other two players who Boston acquired in the five-player trade. The Pirates selected Samaniego to their 40-man roster earlier this month to protect him from being available in the Rule 5 Draft.
The Red Sox will open a spot on their 40-man roster for Samaniego by designating righty Cooper Criswell for assignment.
Oviedo, a native of Cuba, made nine starts for Pittsburgh in 2025, posting a 3.57 ERA, 4.92 FIP, 1.22 WHIP, 42 strikeouts and 23 walks in 40 ⅓ innings.
The 6-foot-6, 275-pounder has a 4.24 ERA in 81 career major league outings (67 starts). He recorded a 4.31 ERA in 32 starts in 2023 before tearing his ulnar collateral ligament, which required Tommy John surgery in December 2023.
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He missed the entire 2024 season following the procedure and a right lat strain delayed his return in 2025.
His four-seam fastball, which averaged 95.5 mph last season, is his best pitch. Opponents went 7-for-47 (.149 batting average) against it. He also mixes in a slider, curveball, sinker and changeup. He gets excellent extension in his delivery and he held opponents to a .213 expected batting average in his nine starts in ‘25.
Opponents went just 11-for-52 (.212) against his slider. They went 4-for-24 (.167) against his curveball.
Garcia, a 22-year-old outfielder who Baseball America ranked Boston’s No. 6 prospect, made his major league debut in 2025. He went 1-for-7 with five strikeouts, two walks and one double in a brief stint for Boston from Aug. 21-29 before being sent back to Triple-A Worcester .
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He batted .267 with a .340 on-base percentage, .470 slugging percentage, .810 OPS, 21 home runs, 17 doubles, four triples and 75 RBIs in 114 games combined between Double-A Portland and Worcester this past season.
Samaniego was a Pirates’ 15th-round pick in 2021 out of South Alabama. He has a 3.82 ERA in 127 minor league outings (two starts) and has never pitched above Double-A.
The Pirates selected Guzman in the fifth round of the 2025 Draft out of Arizona . The Bronx native initially played at Boston College before transferring to the Wildcats in 2024.
He batted .328 with a .411 on-base percentage, .496 slugging percentage, .907 OPS, nine homers and 12 doubles in 62 games (271 plate appearances) for Arizona as a junior this past season.
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Coming out of high school in 2022, Baseball America graded Guzman’s arm 80 (top of the scale) and his fielding 70 (plus plus) on its 20-80 grading scale.
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