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The Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals have completed another trade, with Boston sending left-handed pitcher Eduardo Rivera to St. Louis in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect Juan Garcia. The deal, announced Tuesday, continues a pattern of frequent trades between the two organizations in recent years.
Rivera, 23, made his major league debut in 2026, throwing 3 1/3 scoreless relief innings against the New York Yankees. Despite spending most of the season at Triple-A with the Worcester Red Sox, he appeared in a big-league game before ever pitching for Worcester. The left-hander posted a 2.59 ERA in 26 minor league games and a 6.30 ERA in four MLB appearances. At Triple-A, he recorded a 2.96 ERA with 55 strikeouts in 45 2/3 innings. Originally an 11th-round pick by the Athletics in the 2021 MLB Draft, Rivera has a 3.56 ERA in 89 career minor league appearances.
Garcia, 18, joins the Red Sox after pitching in 23 Dominican Summer League games over the past two years. In 2026, he had a 4.40 ERA in 11 DSL starts. Over his professional career, the young right-hander owns a 3.87 ERA with 77 strikeouts in 90 2/3 innings. He is expected to remain at the lower levels of Boston's farm system for the foreseeable future.
Key Analysis
The trade further depletes Boston's minor league pitching depth, especially after the Red Sox included two of their top pitching prospects in the August deal for Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman. For St. Louis, Rivera adds a tall (6-foot-7) left-handed option who could compete for a spot in the 2027 pitching staff. It remains to be seen whether the Cardinals will use him as a starter or reliever, but his performance early in 2027 will be worth monitoring.