NL Central's recent cellar dwellers start offseason with surprising trade win

Surely, the team that traded Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon, Starling Marte, Andrew McCutchen, Joe Musgrove, and José Quintana in a four-year span between 2018 and 2022 is doing well now, right?

In what is quite possibly the best example of the importance of acquiring the right prospects in trades, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ recent stretch of losing seasons, which is now up to seven in a row, is a result of the team not capitalizing on the trades of their star players that they made in an effort to bolster their current roster. Additionally, as has become an infamous part of the Pirates' organization, the team didn't spend the necessary money to support the strong pieces that they did receive in said deals. They didn't completely miss the ball on all of their trades; acquiring Bryan Reynolds for McCutchen back in 2018 was a smart move, but Pittsburgh didn't follow it up by spending the necessary money to support Reynolds on the roster. In fact, Pittsburgh still has yet to hand out a free agent contract larger than the three-year, $39 million deal they gave Francisco Liriano back in 2014.

However, all of that is about to change, or at least that's what the Pirates are saying this offseason, with pressure from the players’ union being a key reason for their sudden enthusiasm in regard to spending money. Rumors of the team being interested in signing Kyle Schwarber and locking up top prospect Konnor Griffin to a long-term deal have given weight to the rumor that owner Bob Nutting is finally ready to open up his wallet, but the baseball world is still in a "I'll believe it when I see it" mindset.

On Thursday night, though it wasn't the result of some big splash signing, the Pirates may have signaled to the league that they are serious about competing in 2026 by executing a trade that initially appears to favor them considerably.

Pirates add intriguing, MLB-ready outfield prospect Jhostynxon García in surprise trade with Red Sox

On Thursday night, with the Pirates having more starting pitching options than they know what to do with and the Red Sox being in a similar situation with their outfield group, the two teams, connected by now-Pirates GM Ben Cherington, who spent several years as Boston's GM, agreed to a deal that sent outfielder Jhostnyxon García to Pittsburgh in a five-player deal. The main piece headed Boston's way is right-handed starter Johan Oviedo, with the two teams swapping several prospects as well to even out the deal.

Oviedo is an intriguing pitcher, but one whose electric arsenal has been nerfed by a lack of command throughout his five-year MLB career. If the Red Sox can square away his command issues, a task much easier said than done, Oviedo and his two years of team control become a much more exciting asset for Boston. It's the second time in the last two years that Pittsburgh has sent a big-league starter Boston's way, with a right-hander by the name of Quinn Priester being the subject of a Pirates-Red Sox swap in the summer of 2024.

While question marks exist in Oviedo's profile, ones that can surely be addressed by a new pitching department, what is seemingly much more of a sure thing at this juncture is the talent of García, who bears the nickname "The Password" for the complex spelling of his first name. The soon-to-be 23-year-old outfielder dominated the minor leagues in each of the last two seasons, posting more than 20 homers in each campaign. Currently ranked 85th on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 prospects in MLB, García debuted for the Red Sox in 2025, but after appearing in just five games, he will carry his rookie status into the 2026 season.

The move is a win-win for the players involved as well. García should get everyday at-bats in the Pirates' outfield, and Oviedo should collect more innings in Boston than he would have in Pittsburgh with the emergence of Bubba Chandler and the return of Jared Jones in the Pirates' rotation. It's an impressive acquisition for Pittsburgh, who haven't won many trades since their prolonged rebuild began after their most recent playoff appearance in 2015. García not only represents a long-term piece important to the next phase of Pirates baseball, but he also improves the 2026 roster.

Now, the pressure is on for the Pirates to follow this trade win with a financial commitment that makes fans forget about their years of frugality. Without such a move, one that brings in a name like Schwarber, Alex Bregman, or Cody Bellinger, there's little hope that Pittsburgh's outcome in 2026 differs greatly from their recent last-place finishes in the division.