On December 4, the Boston Red Sox made another out-of-nowhere trade, their second of the young offseason.
They sent outfield prospect Jhostyxnon Garcia and right-handed pitching prospect Jesus Travieso to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for righty starter Johan Oviedo and prospects Tyler Samaniego and Adonys Guzman.
You’ve probably already heard a lot about Oviedo, but what about Samaniego and Guzman?
Samaniego is a right-handed pitcher who finished last season in Double-A. The 26-year-old appeared in 20 games out of the bullpen at the level. He posted a 3.08 ERA, .189 BAA, and 0.91 WHIP in 26 1/3 innings. Samaniego struck out 30 batters while only walking six.
Samaniego struck out 44 batters compared to 11 walks in 38 1/3 innings across four levels of the minor leagues. His 7% walk rate in 2025 was a vast improvement from the 10.4% walk rate of his career leading up to the season.
Everything you need to know about the two prospects the Red Sox acquired from the Pirates in the Johan Oviedo trade
With over 100 innings in Double-A at this point, Samaniego should start the 2026 season in Triple-A. With his proximity to the majors and his improvements in 2025, don’t be shocked if you see Samaniego in Boston at some point next season.
Guzman is in a much different boat. The 22-year-old was a fifth-round pick in the 2025 draft. Boston was questioned for their lack of adding catching depth through the draft (only acquired Caleb Berry as an undrafted free agent). The Red Sox have gone all-out this offseason, though. Guzman is the third catching prospect added via trade since November.
Guzman appeared in just one game in the minor leagues last season. The right-handed hitter went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI.
Listed at 5’11”, 221 lbs, he’s a unit behind the dish. Entering the draft, he was praised for his defensive abilities. There is some potential in the bat as well — he’s shown some pop and showcased fantastic plate discipline in college (64 walks compared to 70 strikeouts).
Expect Guzman to start the year in either Single-A or High-A (likely alongside fellow newcomers Luke Heyman and Ronny Hernandez.
Samaniego could help the team in 2026, but it’s Guzman who could become a legitimate prospect and could find himself deeply ingrained in the team’s top 30 prospect rankings as the year goes on.
There will be some Red Sox fans upset to see Garcia gone. A few might be sad about Travieso (only in Single-A, but the righty had terrifyingly exciting stuff on the mound), but the Red Sox helped their major league pitching depth, and added another legitimate catching prospect in an offseason that has seen them aggressively address that position of need.