Folks, we have a trade.
In an offseason where the Pirates need to make several moves to try and support their woeful offense, general manager Ben Cherington took his first of (hopefully) many swings.
Late Thursday night, the Pirates announced a five-player trade with the Boston Red Sox. Headlining the deal was righty Johan Oviedo, who is shipping up to Boston, and outfielder Jhostynxon García.
Three other prospects were included in the deal as well. Here’s a look at the full trade:
To Boston:
- Starter Johan Oviedo
- Reliever Tyler Samaniego
- Catcher Adonys Guzman
To Pittsburgh:
- Outfielder Jhostynxon García
- Starter Jesus Travieso
Before we break down into what this deal means for the Pirates, here’s a rundown of each prospect involved in the deal.
First, for Boston. They also acquire left-hander Tyler Samaniego. The 26-year-old got a late start to his season last year and ended up throwing a total of 38.1 innings out of the bullpen. The bulk of that work came in Double-A Altoona, where he posted a 3.08 ERA, 0.911 WHIP, and 5.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
In addition to that, the Red Sox pick up catcher Adonys Guzman. Traded on his 22nd birthday, the righty batter wrapped up a 62-game college season at the University of Arizona that saw him slash .328/.411/.496 (.907 OPS) with nine home runs and 44 RBI. Guzman was a fifth round pick by the Pirates this summer. He played one game for Pittsburgh’s Florida Complex League affiliate.
The Pirates, meanwhile, now have starter Jesus Travieso. The 18-year-old righty split last season between rookie and Low-A ball last season in Boston’s system. In the FCL, he had a 2.77 ERA, 1.308 WHIP, and 2.08 strikeout-to-walk ratio. In Low-A Salem, his numbers were upped to a 3.51 ERA, 1.636 WHIP, and 3.45 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
But, it’s the man they call “The Password” that has a chance to make an impact on next year’s roster. He ranks 85th on MLB Pipeline‘s Top 100 prospects and was as high as 76th in Baseball America‘s rankings.
García started the year in Double-A Portland, where he slashed .256/.355/.393 (.748 OPS) with three home runs and 17 RBI in 33 games. In May, he was elevated to Triple-A Worcester, where in 81 total games, he slashed .271/.334/.498 (.833 OPS) with 18 home runs and 58 RBI. He was fourth in OPS at Worcester among players with at least 50 games played.
He was named the Triple-A club’s MVP and the organization‘s Minor League Offensive Player of the Year. He made his major league debut in late August, playing his first five MLB games for the Red Sox. He notched a double and two walks in nine plate appearances.
This is a guy who can absolutely launch the ball, and brings the potential power bat that the Pirates desperately need. Plus, at just 22, he has a chance to grow even more into that bat.
Defensively, García can play all three outfield positions. He split the work in the grass last season in Triple-A. The bulk of it came in center field, where he made 52 appearances, but he also made 16 starts in right and five in left. Interestingly, he also made one start at first base.
Outfield was a serious need for the Pirates heading into the offseason. Over the winter, the team needed to acquire at least one, but maybe two outfielders to help solidify their roster. If García can make the major league roster out of spring training, or shortly after, there’s one down.
He is far from a polished product, however.
A big concern in his batting performance is the strikeout rate. Last year in Worcester, García struck out 29% of the time. That’s obviously not a desirable figure, and it is also an alarming jump from the 21% clip he posted in Double-A last year.
There’s also the lack of MLB experience. He played those aforementioned five games last season, but with such little time spent at the major league level, it’s hard to write his name in pen for one of the outfield spots. There’s a real possibility he does not start the year in Pittsburgh, or even plays a majority of the season in black and yellow.
That’s part of the overall high-risk, high-reward move that this trade is for the Pirates. Sure, it’s possible that García makes the team right away and contributes. It’s also possible that he doesn’t fully pan out this year, or ever.
It’s just as possible that Oviedo lights it up in Boston. Oviedo was a decent arm for the Pirates in 2023, and it’a s shame that a Tommy John surgery cut off nearly two years of his Pittsburgh career. If he can better command on his pitches and figure out some of those inconsistency flaws, there’s a really good starter in there.
Things could get uncomfortable with a trade like this. But Pittsburgh needs offense, desperately. And they have an abundance of pitching depth to work with. Oviedo might not be the only pitcher the Pirates deal away.
Perhaps what’s most important is that this trade has to just be the start. García, hypothetically, could blossom into one of the team’s biggest bats in 2026. But the Pirates absolutely cannot bank on the best possible outcome happening. They still need to do more.
García is a part of the fix. He cannot be anywhere close to the fix.
Fifth Avenue Sports 
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