The Pittsburgh Pirates have optioned pitcher Johan Oviedo to Triple-A Indianapolis and selected the contract of pitcher Cam Sanders. Tommy Birch of Des Moines Register was first with the news about Oviedo. Alex Stumpf of MLB.com was the first to report that it was Sanders coming to Pittsburgh. The Pirates haven’t announced these moves as of this writing.
Pirates Daily Roster Move Involves Pitchers
If it seems like the Pirates have made a roster move daily since the trade deadline, it’s because they have. These latest moves strike one as odd, for reasons other than the fact that Des Moines, Iowa, has suddenly become a hotbed for Pirates scoops.
The Pirates are selecting the contract of right-hander Cam Sanders, per source.
The 28-year-old RHP made some mechanical tweaks in Altoona that has helped him reach another level, recording a 1.91 ERA and 30.5 K% rate.@TommyBirch had it first. Oviedo will be optioned to Indy.
— Alex Stumpf (@AlexJStumpf) August 5, 2025
Pirates Option Oviedo and Select Sanders
After spending all of 2024 on the injured list and beginning 2025 there, Oviedo was activated on Monday night. Pitching against the San Francisco Giants at PNC Park in his long-awaited 2025 debut, it didn’t go well. He lasted just one inning, surrendering two runs (both earned) on two hits and three walks, throwing 43 pitches. He said he felt good during the game, despite struggling with his command. That the Pirates would move on to another starter after giving Oviedo just one game to prove himself is an odd decision indeed.
The Latest “Younger Player”
It’s just as odd as the trades made by general manager Ben Cherington at this recent deadline. Cherington justified dumping the likes of David Bednar and Bailey Falter by explaining it would “create opportunities for younger players.” The latest “younger player” to get an opportunity from the Pirates is the 28-year-old Sanders, who hasn’t had a taste of the major leagues until now. The right-handed Sanders was a 12th-round draft pick of the Chicago Cubs in 2018. He languished in their minor league system until electing free agency after the 2024 season.
Sanders pitched well last year for Double-A Tennessee, earning a promotion to Triple-A Iowa. Things didn’t go well for Sanders there. In 30 games, he posted a 7.79 ERA and 2.320 WHIP before being returned to Tennessee. This season, pitching at Double-A Altoona and Indianapolis, he’s posted a 1.91 ERA and 0.969 WHIP. All of his 33 appearances have been in relief, so that’s where the Pirates will likely employ Sanders. Thus, it’s not as though Sanders didn’t earn this promotion or that his isn’t a feel-good story of perseverance. It’s just odd that after touting their abundance of pitching prospects for so many years, the Pirates are turning to a career minor leaguer who probably doesn’t fit in with their long-term plans. Meanwhile, Pirates fans continue to wait for their first look at Bubba Chandler and Hunter Barco, the Pirates’ No. 2 and 3 prospects, respectively.
“Some of the Decision-Making Makes You Scratch Your Head”
One pitching prospect they got a glimpse of twice this season is No. 5 prospect Tom Harrington. When Harrington was called up in a flurry of post-deadline roster moves last Friday, it was thought he would step into the starting rotation spot vacated by Bailey Falter. Instead, it was decided to use him in relief. It’s a role for which he’s miscast because he’s not a hard thrower. Harrington’s fastball averages 92.5 mph. He relies on control and moving the ball around. He relieved starter Andrew Heaney on Friday night in Colorado, and the results were predictably disastrous. Lasting only two-thirds of an inning, he gave up six runs. He was back in Indy the next day so that Dauri Moreta could become the next Pirate to ride their bullpen carousel. When Oviedo’s spot in the rotation next comes up, the deck will probably be shuffled once again.
If these kinds of decisions leave you confused, you’re in good company with former Pirates pitcher and tell-it-like-it-is broadcaster Jim Rooker. “Rook” recently told Kevin Gorman of TribLive, “I’m not there [fair point – neither am I], so somebody could say he doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about — but to see some of the decision-making makes you scratch your head. … It’s a comedy of errors.”
The Last Word
Looking at the decision to option out Oviedo from the Pirates’ point of view, it may not be an indictment of his pitching as much as it’s a way of meeting a desperate need for fresh bullpen arms. So far in the four games in August, the Pirates have gotten only 14 1/3 innings from their starters. There are likely several relievers not available when the Pirates take on the Giants again on Tuesday evening. If Mike Burrows fails to deliver a quality start, Sanders may not have to wait long to make his Pirates debut.
Main Photo Credits: Allan Henry-Imagn Images
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