Weekly Report: Oviedo-Garcia Deal, Luciano Claimed, Bowen To Friars, Kent Lone HoF'er, Winter Meetings Start, Ex-Bucs On The Move

Winter Meeting Time…

Pirates Stuff:

• The Pirates pulled the trigger and sent RHP Johan Oviedo to Boston for OF Jhostynxon (his nickname is Password) Garcia. Garcia, 22, hit .267/21 HR/75 RBI in 114 AAA/AA games. He was the Bosox #3 prospect and ranked #85 of  MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects. Oviedo, 27, was 2-1/3.57 in nine starts for Pittsburgh in an injury-shortened season and considered a solid back-end rotation piece. Garcia hasn’t entered arb yet, so he can be a long-term asset. The Bucs got a guy who has the look of a banger and the Sox lengthened their rotation. LHP Tyler Samaniego (Altoona, 1-1-3/3.08 w/10K per nine IP) and C Adonys Guzman (he’s a ’25 draftee and played one pro game at Bradenton) also were shipped the Boston; RHP Jesus Travieso (an 18-year-old who played Rookie League ball in ’25) will join Garcia. The move gives the Bucs a maybe mid-order bat and rotation spot to slide Jared Jones into; it also makes Mitch Keller a bit more viable here. 

Jhostynxon Garcia – Pirates image

• The Pirates claimed LF/SS Marco Luciano, 24, off waivers from the San Francisco Giants. The former Top-100 prospect has been a disappointment the past three years; he flashes some power and has a kit-ful of physical tools, so he’s a worth-it change-of-scenery add for the Buccos.
• Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweeted that he’s hearing that the Pirates have offered Kyle Schwarber a four-year/$100M+ deal. Be nice if they were actually serious about upgrading for real…
• IF Enmanuel Valdez, who underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in May, is back in action and playing winter ball. He’s mostly a 2B with some time at first who’s hit .230 over parts of three MLB campaigns.

MLB Stuff:

• 2B Jeff Kent was the only player the Contemporary Era committee elected to the Hall of Fame. Kent hit 377 home runs, played in five All-Star outings and won the 2000 NL MVP Award in 17 MLB seasons with six clubs. The losers: by receiving less than five votes, Barry Bonds, Rodger Clemens, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela will be ineligible for HoF consideration again until 2032.
• The winter meeting schedule: December 9 – MLB Draft Position Lottery; December 10 – Rule 5 Draft (the Pirates have the fifth pick) & the winner of the Frick Award for broadcasting will be announced. It started on the 7th when the free agent/trade deals season began in earnest. 
• San Diego signed OF Jase Bowen to a minor league contract. The 25-year-old had a .272 BA w/nine HR & 37 RBI while playing all three spots in the OF, primarily rostering with Indy and Altoona.

Jase Bowen – 2023 Bowman Chrome 1st

• That was quick – OF Will Robertson, claimed by the Bucs in October from the White Sox, was waived and taken by the Orioles.
• OF Ben Gamel signed a minor league/NRI contract with the Braves. He was a lineup regular for the Bucs in 2021-22, batting .242 and compiling a 100 OPS+ mostly as an OF’er with a touch of DH and 1B in the mix. They also claimed RHP Osvaldo Bido from the A’s, who tossed for the Bucs in 2023.
• Ex-Buc (1-7/5.86, 2020-21) RHP Cody Ponce and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed on a three-year/$30M contract. The Jays get the Korean League’s MVP, who went 17-1/1.89 w/252 K in 180-2/3 innings last year.
• RHP Kyle Keller, 32, who had a bumpy ride as a Buc in 2021 (1-1/6.48) before going to Japan, is a MLB free agent. He rediscovered himself while in the NPB, posting a 7-5-5/2.42 line in his four seasons overseas.
• RHP Jesse Chavez, who began his MLB career in 2008-09 with the Bucs, ended his big league days in ’25 after tossing 18 seasons for nine teams. He didn’t take much time off – he was just hired as the Giants bullpen coach.