The Guardians have claimed right-hander Luis Oviedo off waivers from the Pirates, reports John Dreker of Pirates Prospects (Twitter link). Pittsburgh had designated Oviedo for assignment last week. Cleveland had a vacancy on the 40-man roster, but they’ll need to create spots for both Anthony Castro and Yu Chang once those players are ready to be reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list.
Oviedo returns to his original organization. Cleveland signed the 6’4″ hurler out of Venezuela during the 2015-16 international signing period. He spent five seasons in their farm system, never advancing past Low-A. Oviedo’s numbers in the low minors weren’t great, but he worked in the mid-upper 90s with a sinker and had a pair of promising breaking pitches. Baseball America named him the #8 prospect in the organization entering the 2019 season, although he dipped to 18th the following year due to concerns about his control and minor league performance.
The canceled 2020 minor league season robbed Oviedo of a needed development year, and the Indians declined to add him to their 40-man roster that winter. Nevertheless, the Pirates nabbed him in the Rule 5 draft (via trade with the Mets) and carried him on the Opening Day roster. Oviedo stuck in Pittsburgh the entire season — albeit with a pair of injured list stints mixed in — and tossed 29 2/3 innings over his first 22 MLB outings.
As one would expect for a pitcher who had zero previous appearances above Low-A, Oviedo didn’t do well in his first big league look. He posted an 8.80 ERA while walking an untenable 17.7% of opponents. His fastball averaged nearly 95 MPH, however, and he generated quality swing-and-miss rates on each of his curveball and slider. The rebuilding Bucs were willing to live with his control woes last year, but he lost his spot on the 40-man roster after walking four and hitting two of the first 19 batters he faced in the minors this season.
Oviedo has still yet to reach his 23rd birthday. He owns intriguing stuff and is only in his first of three minor league option years. The Guardians are clearly of the belief he has a chance to blossom into a productive MLB pitcher down the road, although it’s obvious he at least needs more time in the minors to get to that point. If Oviedo sticks on Cleveland’s 40-man roster, they’ll have plenty of time to try to help him tap into that upside.
Welcome home buddy.
I was really sad he didn’t quite make it with Pittsburgh. I had thought so highly of him as he was coming up. I definitely wonder how he would have developed if he was never taken given that the Guardians are so renowned for pitching development and the Pirates… aren’t.
If at first you don’t succeed, fail, fail again.
Champs. Book it.
Booked ✔️
Cleveland to New York to Pittsburgh to Cleveland.
I can see why teams want him one of those that worth trying out.. twice if it costs you little.
Like cleveland has the roster space….or are we finally shoving Bradley out the door?
Maybe Logan Allen too
CLE doesn’t HAVE to create room on the 40-man for Yu Chang. Leave him on the COVID list as long as the league will allow. Oh, and didn’t I hear you say you tweaked a hammy, Yu? You seem a little gimpy
Honestly it wouldn’t surprise me if they did something like that just to buy themselves some time. The easy move would be to get rid of Bradley when Chang is ready to be activated, but with the roster size going down on Sunday they might both miss the cut. DFAing Allen to make room for Castro coming back is easier since Castro at least has options.
I just hope they don’t do something like sending Clement down since he has options and Chang doesn’t.
I’m assuming with the looming roster cuts coming this weekend that they’ll be making some 40 man moves. Bradley is basically their third string 1B at this point behind Naylor and Miller, and since he doesn’t play any other position it seems likely he gets cut first. Chang also seems to have been displaced by both Clement and Miller as a utility IF piece. Since neither have options and neither has a particularly strong track record, very likely both could get through waivers.
Logan Allen also seems doomed but the 14 pitcher thing might save him.
Cleveland has at least a few days to have a look at Oviedo and see if he’s worth the 40-Man Roster spot, that’s probably the play here.
Well he pitched for them for 4 years lol i imagine they know what they got
Oviedo one of the few pirates DFAs who actually get picked up.
By his original team.
Is anyone else not getting Pirates rumors updating. my MLB category shows the most recent updates but my Pirates category for some reason dates back 3 years since any transactions. This just happened the other day, so it hasn’t really been a 3 year problem.
I thought it was just me. I sent an inquiry but haven’t received a response. My updates are also three years old.
Anytime I see the last name Oviedo in an article I think of Leo Nunez becoming Juan Carlos Oviedo out of the blue in 2011 (wow it does not feel like that was over 10 years ago)
Also never forget Fausto Carmona from Cleveland. What did he change his name to again? Dude had a nasty sinker.
He changed his name to Roberto Hernández. He was great in 2007 and 2010 for Cleveland.
It wasn’t really out of the blue; he, like Roberto Hernandez and Jairo Asencio, was caught using someone else’s identity. Juan Carlos Oviedo has always been his real name. But yeah, where did the time go?
At least I won’t have to listen to the Pirates announcers mindlessly hype this guy game after game..
The Guardians have picked up a ton of young pitchers in the last year or so, for either nothing, or next to nothing.
In addition to Oviedo…
Tobias Myers
Konnor Pilkington
Peyton Battenfield
Enyel De Los Santos
Anthony Castro
Trevor Stephan
Damon Casetta-Stubbs
Yea, and the Guardians are well known as one of the premier Pitching Factories of the league, with that knownledge I predict Oviedo will soon make the Major League team in July. and throw 30 Innings of 2.89 ERA ball.
*SPIDERS