Boston Adds Pitching Prospect in Latest Offseason Deal
The Boston Red Sox acquired 18-year-old right-handed pitcher Juan Garcia from the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday afternoon, sending left-hander Eduardo Rivera to St. Louis in return.
The transaction marks Boston’s third trade of the current offseason. The move follows previous roster adjustments that saw the Red Sox send outfielder Nate Eaton to the Oakland Athletics for right-handed pitcher Jareth Rayo and forward shortstop Tsung-Che Cheng to the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations.
For Garcia, the deal represents a significant change in his professional trajectory. The native of Mexico originally signed with the Cardinals as an international free agent in January 2025. He spent the past two seasons playing in the Dominican Summer League (DSL) and made 11 starts for the DSL Cardinals in 2026.
During his time in the DSL, Garcia recorded a 4.40 earned run average (ERA), 39 strikeouts, and 10 walks over 43 innings pitched. Opponents batted .257 against him during that span.
In total, Garcia has appeared in 23 professional outings, including 21 starts, accumulating 90 2/3 innings. He holds a career ERA of 3.87 with 77 strikeouts and 14 walks across those appearances.
Player Profile and Future Outlook
Garcia is not yet 19 years old, with his birthday falling in May of next year. Despite his performance metrics, he was not ranked among the Cardinals’ top 30 prospects by either Baseball America or MLB Pipeline prior to the trade.
FanGraphs previously described Garcia as "an easy mover on the mound" who occasionally reaches speeds of 90 mph with his fastball.
With the Red Sox, Garcia is expected to be a candidate for his stateside debut in the rookie-level Florida Complex League next season, assuming he is not traded again before then.
Rivera’s Status and Front Office Activity
Eduardo Rivera, the left-hander sent to St. Louis, was designated for assignment by the Red Sox on Monday night as part of a 40-man roster crunch. The move sends Rivera to his third organization in his professional career.
The trade between Boston and St. Louis marks the third deal completed between Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom in the past year. Previous transactions between the two executives included deals that brought pitcher Sonny Gray and catcher Willson Contreras to Boston.