Pirates ‘hidden gem’ stands out as perfect fit for Guardians' rotation

Over the past six seasons, there have been 11 players who have played for both the Guardians and Pirates.

That list of 11 players ranges from the forgotten (Cody Bolton and Yohan Ramírez) to a free agent prize (Josh Bell). And although the Pirates finished last season 71-91, they still have some intriguing talent who could help the Guardians win in 2026.

Enter Johan Oviedo. 

While Oviedo’s career ERA of 4.24 doesn’t jump off the page, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal broke down his value as a “hidden gem” (subscription required) while writing that the Pirates would consider moving him in exchange for the right position player return. 

That reporting makes it seem like the Guardians have a chance to capitalize on Oviedo’s availability to help fortify their pitching depth ahead of 2026. 

Johan Oviedo could help help fortify the Guardians’ rotation 

Although Oviedo’s numbers don’t jump off the page, he held hitters to an expected batting average of .213 last season and, according to a Pirates official quoted in Rosenthal’s story, he drastically improved his fastball shapes while rehabbing. 

He impressed in the little MLB action he saw last season (he had a 3.57 ERA in 40 1/3 innings after returning from injury) and won’t break the bank. He still has two years of team control remaining through arbitration and is projected to make $2 million next season. 

The obvious red flag on Oviedo’s profile is his injury history since he missed all of 2024 due to Tommy John surgery and suffered a right lat strain last spring that delayed his return until August. 

But even with that, Oviedo would still be a solid fit in Cleveland. The Guardians currently have six MLB-ready starters on their roster, but adding Oviedo to the mix would be solid insurance behind them (especially if they end up trading one of them). 

Another Pirate starter who seems to be available is right-handed starter Mitch Keller Keller, an All-Star in 2023, has posted an ERA under 4.30 in each of the past four seasons and is owed $54.5 million over the next three seasons.

It would be fairly easy for the Guardians to match up with the Pirates in a trade given Cleveland’s surplus of MLB-ready middle infielders. 

While Pittsburgh has the No. 1 prospect in baseball in shortstop Konnor Griffin, it’s hard to believe they’d break camp next season with him in their big league infield. 

As such, a player like Gabriel Arias, Brayan Rocchio or Daniel Schneemann could serve as a valuable placeholder for the Pirates while Griffin works in the minors. 

It would likely take more than that just one of those three to wiggle Oviedo or Keller away from the Pirates, but including one of them in the package for either pitcher would help reinforce the Guardians’ starting rotation while also clearing up the minor logjam in the middle-infield.