Pirates Taking Careful Approach With Returning Pitcher
The Pittsburgh Pirates will have some difficult decisions to make with their starting rotation in 2025.
One pitcher who could vie for the fifth spot in the rotation is right-handed pitcher Johan Oviedo. Oviedo is returning from Tommy John surgery last November and made 32 starts for the Pirates in 2023. While the 26-year-old right-hander may very well work his way into becoming Pittsburgh's fifth starter, manager Derek Shelton said his team will take an abundance of caution with Oviedo next season.
"Oviedo, we're going to have to be thoughtful because he's coming off Tommy John," Shelton said at the Winter Meetings. "So there is going to be some sort of innings that we have to benchmark and watch for."
Oviedo was acquired in a rare division trade with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2022 after he spent the first half of the season going back and forth between the Major Leagues and Triple-A Memphis. In his seven starts for Pittsburgh in 2022, he went 2-2 with a 3.23 ERA. Oviedo asserted himself in the starting rotation in 2023 and had a solid yet unspectacular season, going 9-14 with a 4.31 ERA over 32 starts and he struck out 158 batters in his 177.2 innings pitched. His control was detrimental throughout the season, though, as he posted a 1.9 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Oviedo had 15 outings where he walked at least three batters and led baseball with 13 hit-by-pitches hit in 2023. The right-hander showed signs of turning things around in the second half, as he went 6-4 with a 3.72 ERA in 77.1 innings pitched over 14 starts.
Oviedo's path to the starting rotation is much less clear with the emergence of 2024 Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes and Jared Jones. Bailey Falter also proved to be a solid option and Mitch Keller has been the Pirates' most consistent pitcher over the last two seasons. Along with the four pitchers who already appear to be entrenched in the rotation for 2025, Pittsburgh also boasts three top-100 prospects in MLB Pipeline's rankings, Bubba Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft and Thomas Harrington.
All three right-handed pitching prospects reached Triple-A Indianapolis last season, so their debuts could be right around the corner in 2025.
Oviedo's experience in the bullpen could come in handy, especially with the Pirates wanting to manage his innings in his first season back from Tommy John surgery. Oviedo has made 14 appearances out of the bullpen in his career. The Pirates bullpen more than needs the help, as they had the fourth-highest ERA in baseball last season.
Whether it's as a starting pitcher or a reliever, how the Pirates manage Oviedo's innings will be among the topics of discussion entering 2025. If he can assert himself as one of the Pirates' five best starting pitchers in Spring Training, an already strong rotation could be even deeper next season.
