Red Sox Make Several Roster Decisions
The Red Sox’ Opening Day roster is coming into focus. Boston announced this morning that catcher/infielder Mickey Gasper and infielder/outfielder Nate Eaton were optioned to minor league camp. Non-roster catcher Matt Thaiss was also reassigned to minor league camp. MassLive’s Chris Cotillo suggests that Thaiss was not picked up by another club after using his upward mobility clause, so he’ll head to Triple-A Worcester as catching depth. That slate of moves sets the club’s bench with catcher Connor Wong, utilitymen Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Andruw Monasterio, and outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida.
Neither Wong nor Thaiss had a particularly strong spring, though the latter was the more productive of the two. Wong is already under contract for $1.375MM, however. He struggled through a career-worst season in 2025 but had a productive showing at the plate as recently as 2024 (.280/.333/.425).
Monasterio tops Eaton and Gasper for a bench spot after a strong spring showing: .300/.383/.425 in 47 plate appearances. The Sox picked Monasterio up alongside Caleb Durbin in the trade sending Kyle Harrison, Shane Drohan and David Hamilton to the Brewers. He’s played in each of the past three seasons with the Brewers and is coming off a career-best .270/.319/.437 slash in 156 plate appearances in 2025. Monasterio gives the Sox a right-handed bat with experience across all four infield positions.
On the pitching side of things, Rule 5 righty Ryan Watson was informed he has made the team, per WEEI’s Rob Bradford. Left-hander Tyler Samaniego has been optioned to Triple-A, Cotillo reports.
The 28-year-old Watson was selected out of the Giants organization in December’s Rule 5 Draft (by way of a trade with the A’s). He’d posted 50 2/3 innings with a 4.26 ERA in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League last year. Watson punched out 28.1% of the opponents he faced in Triple-A, walked only 7% of them and also notched a solid 43.8% grounder rate. He’s had a shaky spring, allowing seven runs on a dozen hits and three walks in 11 2/3 innings (5.56 ERA). He hasn’t missed many bats, either, but the Sox believe in the raw arsenal enough to open the season with Watson locked into a bullpen spot.
As a Rule 5 pick, Watson cannot be optioned to the minors at any point. The Red Sox will need to carry him on the big league roster for the entire season if they want to secure full contractual rights over what would be five additional years of club control. If at any point the Sox remove Watson from the roster, he’ll be placed on outright waivers and made available to every other club before being offered back to the Giants (who would not have to place him on their 40-man roster).
Red Sox, Pirates Swap Johan Oviedo And Jhostynxon García In Five-Player Trade
The Red Sox and Pirates announced a five-player trade on Thursday evening. Starter Johan Oviedo heads to Boston alongside lefty reliever Tyler Samaniego and minor league catcher Adonys Guzman. Pittsburgh gets rookie outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia and A-ball pitching prospect Jesus Travieso. Boston needed to open a spot on the 40-man roster, so they designated righty Cooper Criswell for assignment. Pittsburgh’s roster count drops to 39.
Oviedo and Garcia are the centerpieces of the deal on either side. The 27-year-old Oviedo is a 6’6″ right-hander who has been a capable back-end starter since the Pirates acquired him at the 2022 trade deadline. He’d been a swingman with the Cardinals for his first couple seasons but has stepped into a full-time rotation role for the Bucs. Oviedo took the ball 32 times and ranked second on the team with 177 2/3 innings in 2023. He posted a 4.31 earned run average with slightly worse than average strikeout and walk rates.
While Oviedo stayed healthy throughout the ’23 season, he reported elbow soreness at year’s end. That proved a precursor to Tommy John surgery that wiped out his 2024 campaign. Oviedo had a shot to return for the start of ’25 but suffered a lat strain while building up early in Spring Training. He was shut down for a few months and didn’t make his season debut until the beginning of August. He took the ball nine times down the stretch, turning in a 3.57 ERA over 40 1/3 innings.
Oviedo’s return was a mixed bag. He recorded a career-best 24.7% strikeout rate while getting whiffs at a solid 11.7% clip. The stuff looked as sharp as it’d been before his successive arm injuries. Oviedo averaged 95.5 MPH on his fastball and got good results on both an upper-80s slider and mid-70s curveball. The slider has been a plus pitch throughout his career and had a little more glove-side movement. His height also allows him to get more than seven feet of extension, so his already above-average velocity should play up.
While there are clearly things to like, Oviedo remains a work in progress. He walked three batters in seven of his nine starts, issuing free passes at an untenable 13.5% rate overall. That inefficiency kept him from working deep into games. Oviedo only once pitched into the sixth inning and didn’t complete six full frames in any appearance. It’s fair to expect some rust in his command after an 18-month absence, but throwing strikes has always been an issue. Oviedo routinely posted double-digit walk rates in the minors and issued free passes at a 10.6% rate over a full season in 2023.
The other question is whether he’ll be able to handle left-handed hitters. His changeup is a clear fourth pitch. Lefties managed a solid .244/.341/.436 line with 14 home runs in 419 plate appearances a couple years ago. Oviedo had much better results against lefties in 2025 (.151/.259/.301), but that came in a small sample with an unimpressive 19:11 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Oviedo has four-plus years of MLB service. He’s under arbitration control for two seasons and projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for a $2MM salary. He still has a minor league option remaining and doesn’t need to open the season on the active roster. He’ll cross the five-year service threshold when he logs another 93 days on the big league active roster or injured list. The Sox would no longer be able to send him to the minors without his consent at that point.
They hope that won’t be a consideration. They liked Oviedo enough to give up one of their top upper minors hitting talents, gambling that they can unlock another level of consistency in the process. That suggests he’s got a good chance to slot behind Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray and Brayan Bello in Alex Cora’s rotation. The Sox should welcome Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval back from injury. Prospects Payton Tolle and Connelly Early debuted late in the season, while former top prospect Kyle Harrison remains in the mix.
Garcia, 23 next week, should get everyday at-bats in Pittsburgh. He didn’t have a clear path to playing time in a crowded Boston outfield but projects as the starting left fielder for the Pirates. The right-handed hitter got a cup of coffee at Fenway Park last August, picking up a hit and two walks over nine plate appearances. He otherwise divided the season between the top two levels of the minor leagues.
Known for his excellent nickname “The Password,” Garcia combined for 21 home runs with a robust .267/.340/.470 batting line across 489 plate appearances. It’s strong bottom line production for a 22-year-old, though the Sox might have had concerns about his approach. The Venezuela native struck out at a 29.1% clip while chasing more than 35% of pitches outside the strike zone over his 81 Triple-A games. The pure hit tool is a red flag, but he has topped 20 homers in consecutive minor league seasons.
Baseball America credited Garcia with above-average power and bat speed in recently ranking him the #6 prospect in the Boston system. BA writes that Garcia is a serviceable defensive center fielder despite having only average speed. He’s probably better suited in the corner opposite Bryan Reynolds but could play up the middle on days when Oneil Cruz is unavailable.
The Pirates control Garcia for at least six seasons. He still has a pair of minor league options, so they could send him back to Triple-A without issue if his approach needs further refinement. There are some parallels to last winter’s acquisition of Spencer Horwitz and the 2024 Quinn Priester/Nick Yorke deadline swap (also with the Red Sox). Pittsburgh leverages their rotation depth for a controllable upper level bat. Garcia arguably has the highest ceiling of that trio, and this surely won’t be the only lineup addition of the winter for GM Ben Cherington and his staff.
While it’s mostly an Oviedo/Garcia framework, the teams also swapped a few prospects. Samaniego, who turns 27 in January, might factor into the Boston bullpen next season. The former 15th-round pick tossed 26 1/3 innings of 3.08 ERA ball at the Double-A level this year. He fanned 28% of opponents with a sub-6% walk rate. Pittsburgh selected him onto the 40-man roster last month to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. He still has a full slate of options and is probably ticketed for Triple-A Worcester.
Guzman, who turned 22 today, was Pittsburgh’s fifth-round pick out of the University of Arizona over the summer. The right-handed hitting catcher has only played one game in Low-A. Baseball America credited him with plus arm strength and some power to left field in their draft report. He’s a long-term development play behind the dish.
The Pirates round out their side of the deal with Travieso. He’s an 18-year-old righty who signed with Boston as an amateur out of Venezuela in 2024. He’s listed at 5’11” and has yet to garner much prospect attention, but he struck out nearly 32% of opponents over seven games in Low-A late in the season.
Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported that the Red Sox and Pirates agreed to a five-player deal involving Oviedo and Garcia. Robert Murray of FanSided reported the full trade. Respective images courtesy of Charles Leclaire and Daniel Kucin Jr., Imagn Images.
Pirates Designate Four Players For Assignment
The Pirates announced that they have designated four players for assignment. That list includes outfielders Alexander Canario and Ronny Simón, as well as right-handers Colin Holderman and Dauri Moreta. Additionally, Cam Devanney was released to pursue opportunities overseas. It was reported a few days ago that Devanney would be signing with the Hanshin Tigers of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball.
The Bucs already had one open 40-man spot and those moves opened five more. That allowed them to select six players to the roster ahead of today’s Rule 5 deadline. Those six are first baseman/outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez, infielder Jack Brannigan, left-hander Tyler Samaniego and right-handers Wilber Dotel, Antwone Kelly and Brandan Bidois.
Canario, 26 in May, was once a notable prospect with the Cubs thanks to his huge power in the minors. However, that power also came with notable strikeout concerns. For instance, he hit 37 minor league home runs in 2022 but was punched out at a 27.5% clip. Going into 2025, he still wasn’t established in the majors but had exhausted his option years. He bounced to the Mets and then the Pirates via waivers. He received 234 plate appearances with the Bucs this year but was punched out in 34.2% of those while posting a .218/.274/.338 line.
Now that he’s in DFA limbo, the Bucs can try to explore trade interest but it should be minimal after that poor season. Perhaps a rebuilding club will give him a shot since he’s still young and controllable, but this theoretical club will probably wait for Canario to be on waivers or non-tendered.
Simón, 26 in April, was just claimed off waivers from the Marlins in June. He finished the season on the 60-day injured list due to a dislocated left shoulder. He has a .234/.299/.273 line in a small sample of 88 big league plate appearances. He has some speed and defensive versatility, as well as good offensive numbers in the minors, but his current health status is unknown.
Holderman, 30, lived up to his surname for the Bucs in recent years. He notched 27 holds in 2023 and another 21 in 2024. He posted a 3.52 earned run average over those two seasons. He struck out 24.6% of batters faced, gave out walks at a 9.7% rate and kept 45.8% of balls in play on the ground.
2025 was a nightmare, however. He made separate trips to the injured list due to a right knee sprain and right thumb inflammation. Around those IL stints, he tossed 25 2/3 innings with a 7.01 ERA, 14.4% strikeout rate and 12.8% walk rate. He is eligible for arbitration, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a $1.7MM salary next year. This move is effectively an early non-tender.
Perhaps there’s a club out there who thinks there’s a way to get Holderman back on track, and he is still optionable, so maybe the Bucs will get some trade calls. But he also might be non-tendered on Friday, which will make him a free agent.
Moreta, 30 in April, has shown some strikeout stuff in the big leagues but without strong control. He has 116 2/3 innings under his belt with a 4.17 ERA, 28.7% strikeout rate and 9.4% walk rate. He qualified for arbitration and his $800K projection is barely above next year’s $780K minimum salary but he is out of options and would have had a hard time hanging onto a roster spot going forward, regardless of his salary. If he lands somewhere else, he is controllable for three more seasons.
Valdez, 22 in January, was an international signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2021. He has since been climbing the ladder, showcasing a nice blend of power and on-base ability. Here in 2025, he got into 123 games between High-A and Double-A. In his 529 plate appearances, his 24.6% strikeout rate was a bit high but he also drew walks at a 10.6% clip and hit 26 home runs. His .286/.376/.520 combined line translated to a 156 wRC+. He then went to the Arizona Fall League for some extra work and hit eight homers in 19 games, leading to a ridiculous .368/.513/.842 line.
Defensively, Valdez isn’t considered especially strong. But for the Pirates, who have struggled to develop hitters, they have to be intrigued by his offensive numbers. Baseball America recently ranked him the #10 prospect in the system. He should be in Triple-A in 2026 and in the mix for a big league promotion. The Bucs currently project to have Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds in two outfield spots but with one spot fairly wide open, at least for now.
Brannigan, 25 in March, was a third-round pick in the 2022 draft. He has put up some good numbers but injuries have cut into the volume of his playing time, as he hasn’t appeared in more than 87 games in any year of his professional career. As a hitter, he has drawn a lot of walks but also been punched out quite a bit. Since being drafted, he has 1,071 plate appearances with a 12.5% walk rate, 27.4% strikeout rate, .245/.356/.454 line and 125 wRC+. That included a .225/.329/.358 line and 103 wRC+ in 59 Double-A games this year.
He likely needs some more time in the minors, on account of how much he has missed. But the Bucs didn’t want to take the chance of some other club grabbing him. He has spent time at all three infield positions to the left of first base. He has three option years and can be kept on the farm until he works his way into the club’s infield depth picture.
Samaniego, 27 in January, was a 15th-round pick back in 2021. He spent time at four different levels in 2025, working as a lefty reliever. Combined, he logged 38 1/3 innings with a 3.99 ERA, 27.8% strikeout rate, 7% walk rate and 48.4% ground ball rate. He hasn’t yet reached the Triple-A level but the Bucs didn’t want another club to grab him. Now that he’s on the roster, he can push for his major league debut in 2026. But since he has a full slate of options, he could be shuttled to the minors and back with some regularity, ever after he makes it to the show.
Dotel, 23, is a fairly obvious addition. Baseball America currently lists him as the #9 prospect in the system. An international signing out of the Dominican Republic, he has been stretched out as a starter in recent years. He made 27 Double-A starts in 2025, logging 125 2/3 innings with a 4.15 ERA, 24.5% strikeout rate and 8% walk rate. The Pirates have a strong rotation but he can be in Triple-A, providing them with depth in the event of an injury while simultaneously continuing his development.
Kelly, 22, is in a similar situation. Baseball America ranks him the #6 prospect in the system. An international signing out of Aruba, he made 25 starts this year, split between Single-A and Double-A. Combined, he tossed 107 1/3 innings with a 3.02 ERA, 27.2% strikeout rate and 7.7% walk rate.
Bidois, 24, is a straight reliever who happens to be from Australia. He threw 61 innings this year across four different levels with a 0.74 ERA. Some of that is due to a tiny .164 batting average on balls in play but he also struck out 30% of batters faced. There’s some wildness in there, as he walked 11.7% of batters faced this year, but the numbers are obviously appealing. He’ll give the club some immediate bullpen depth as he pushes for his big league debut.
Photo courtesy of James A. Pittman, Imagn Images
José Negron of DK Pittsburgh Sports reported the Valdez move prior to the official announcement. Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reported the other five additions. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported the guys being designated for assignment.