After a long offseason of waiting to see what their trade acquisitions can do, the Boston Red Sox on February 25 got their first glimpse of former Pittsburgh Pirates starter Johan Oviedo in game action.
Oviedo's first Grapefruit League start in a Red Sox uniform lasted just 1.2 innings (pitchers are still on pitch counts) and highlighted some areas for improvement. The hulking lefty let up a hit, but no runs, with a strikeout and three walks. Oviedo made 33 pitches and 15 of them went for strikes.
Improving Oviedo's command was a point of emphasis for Boston immediately after the trade and it evidently still needs work. Despite his trouble limiting walks, Oviedo is still the favorite for the open fifth spot in the Red Sox's rotation, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.
Cotillo listed Oviedo as Boston's fifth starter in his February 26 Opening Day roster projection, stating that team sources have mentioned him as the favorite because he entered camp fully healthy and with no restrictions on his activity level.
Even after showcasing shaky command in first spring training start, Johan Oviedo is still a favorite for Red Sox's fifth rotation spot
Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval have been named rotation options in the past, but the two have yet to appear in a Grapefruit League game, which could keep them off the Opening Day roster entirely. Ian Browne of MLB.com reports that they could open the season in the minor leagues on a rehab assignment.
Top pitching prospects Connelly Early and Payton Tolle are also among the Sox's top options for the last rotation spot. Both have made two-inning spring training starts already with similar, if not more success, in Early's case, to Oviedo. Still, Cotillo predicts they'll open the season in Triple-A as depth options.
It's still early in spring and there's more than enough time for any of the rotation options to break out and assert themselves as deserving of the fifth spot. The opposite could also occur — if Oviedo can't tighten up his command, he could lose his standing as the favorite. In 2023, his last full season in the major leagues before he underwent Tommy John surgery, he posted a 10.6 walk percentage that ranked in the 20th percentile among pitchers. During his shortened, 40.1-inning season in 2025, his walk rate reached 13.5%.
The Red Sox see that Oviedo has the baseline skills to become a weapon at the back of their rotation, but he'll need to make the rotation to begin that transformation. If he cleans up his command this spring, his path to a starter role on the Opening Day roster could be easy.