Evn after they acquired Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals on November 25, the Boston Red Sox didn't rule out another addition to their rotation. Days later, they made another unexpected trade.
The Red Sox have acquired pitcher Johan Oviedo from the Pittsburgh Pirates as part of a five-player trade, first reported by MLB insider Jeff Passan of ESPN. Boston will send top outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia and pitcher Jesus Travieso to the Steel City as the Pirates' return. The Red Sox will also receive pitching prospect Tyler Samaniego and catching prospect Adonys Guzman.
The Red Sox designated pitcher Cooper Criswell for assignment to open a roster spot for Oviedo. He's served Boston well as a reliable backup starter and reliever in the past, and it would be ideal to see him pass through waivers and remain with the organization.
After the Gray trade, many fans and reporters were uncertain if the Red Sox acquired him as the No. 2 starter they sought to bolster the rotation behind Garrett Crochet. Most have concluded that Gray doesn't hold No. 2 starter status at this stage in his career, and Oviedo doesn't either.
Red Sox trade top outfield prospect, others to Pirates for starting pitcher Johan Oviedo and two prospects
Oviedo, 27, began his career with the Cardinals, who signed him as an international free agent out of Cuba in 2016. He made his MLB debut in 2020 and posted 87 innings over his first two years with the Cards. St. Louis traded him to Pittsburgh at the 2022 trade deadline, where he's clocked a 4.05 ERA, 1.335 WHIP, 109 ERA+, 228 strikeouts and 122 walks over 248.2 innings across two and a half seasons.
Oviedo missed the entire 2024 season and only pitched 40.1 innings in 2025 due to injuries. He underwent Tommy John surgery before the 2024 slate and had a lat injury last season that kept him off the mound until Juy 2. Hopefully, his injury issues are behind him.
Oviedo isn't a No. 2 starter, but Breslow must see something in him, and it's hard to deny his keen eye for pitching talent. In the small sample of innings he pitched in 2025, Oviedo's fastball, his most used pitch, collected a 31.3 whiff percentage and a .149 opponent batting average. His curveball is also fierce, with a 38.1 whiff percentage and .167 opponent batting average.
The middle of Boston's rotation is officially packed in the wake of the Oviedo deal. He, Patrick Sandoval, Kutter Crawford, Hunter Dobbins, Brayan Bello and maybe even some top pitching prospects could be in the mix for starting roles. This move could suggest that the Sox still aren't done on the trade market this winter.