With their trade of Jhostynxon Garcia finalized, the Boston Red Sox's front office revealed it's betting not just on filling out the rotation but on building a front-end starter. Newly-acquired starter Johan Oviedo is the centerpiece of that gamble.
Johan Oviedo is a 6'6" right-hander with size and extension, with a mid-90s fastball. To get this fact out of the way, he struggled through injuries these last two seasons. However, the Red Sox believe his arsenal and physical traits give him a legitimate chance to emerge as more than a back-of-the-rotation arm.
His 2025 numbers hint at why the Red Sox were willing to part with a top-100 prospect. Over nine starts after returning from Tommy John surgery and a lat strain, he posted a 3.57 ERA and struck out 42 batters in 40 1/3 innings. For many pitchers coming off significant injuries, that kind of comeback is promising, but not enough. Yet, his profile contains traits that intrigue the Red Sox further than a short-term rebound.
Standing tall with a fastball averaging 95.5 mph and a high-velocity slider and complementary off-speed stuff, Oviedo brings the kind of raw stuff few 27-year-old reclamations can claim. The potential is what made the Red Sox believe that if he'd proven it before, the return package would've demanded far more than a near-major-league outfielder and a lower-level arm.
Boston's offseason moves, adding him alongside established arms like Garrett Crochet and the also freshly acquired Sonny Gray, and with up-and-coming pitchers, suggest they're building a rotation with heavy upside. Oviedo isn't being grafted onto the back end as an afterthought, as the plan is to stretch him out as a starter and see if he can deliver as a high-ceiling piece under team control through at least 2027.
Yes, health and consistency remain valid concerns. His command issues and past injuries aren't erased by one solid nine-start stretch. But that's exactly why Boston pulled the trigger. The upside is definitely real with Oviedo. If he can recapture his velocity and harness his secondary offerings, he has the makings of a mid-rotation weapon and perhaps more. The cost? A top prospect.
That's what's puzzling. Even IF Garcia's value was slightly underwhelming because everyone expected him to be gone by the start of the season, he's still their #3 prospect in the system. They're paying a high price for hypotheticals, when, if he doesn't work out, this will come back to bite Breslow.
And this winter, that bet could define the next few seasons for the franchise.