Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Johan Oviedo uses positive spin to earn starting role for Pirates

Even though the Pittsburgh Pirates’ rotation appeared set at the start of spring training and his bet to make the Opening Day roster was as a reliever, Johan Oviedo was absolutely positive that he wanted to be a starting pitcher.

The 25-year-old right-hander worked in a relief role for the St. Louis Cardinals before being traded to the Pirates last summer in the deal for Jose Quintana and Chris Stratton. Oviedo isn’t interested in going back to the bullpen.

“I’ve always been a starter my whole life. Being a starter is what I want,” Oviedo told the Tribune-Review on March 1. “I’m not trying to think about where I’m going to be in the next months but definitely know what I want to do, which is compete. I want to go out there and try to do my best.”

Oviedo got his wish when Pirates manager Derek Shelton said Tuesday during the AT&T SportsNet telecast of the Grapefruit League finale that Oviedo would be in the starting rotation. It came under unfortunate circumstances, with JT Brubaker likely headed to the injured list with right elbow/forearm discomfort.

“I’m definitely excited,” Oviedo told AT&T SportsNet after pitching five innings against the Minnesota Twins. “Super happy, super excited to get to the league and start the season and break camp with the team.”

1. Big break: Over his last four spring training appearances, including three starts, Oviedo had a 2.93 ERA. Shelton was among those impressed with how Oviedo progressed, especially in his final start.

After right fielder Connor Joe missed a Ryan Jeffers double off the wall, Michael A. Taylor singled to put runners on second and third base with no outs. Oviedo answered by throwing a 91.5-mph slider to Alex Isola for a called strike, followed with a 96.7-mph fastball and then a curveball that was grounded into a 5-4-3 double play. A run scored, but Oviedo struck out Willi Castro on three pitches – four-seamer, curveball, slider – to get out of the inning.

“For a young pitcher to be able to utilize his breaking stuff and then go back to the fastball with that kind of velocity, the one thing I’m really happy with the command of the fastball to the arm side, staying in to right-handed hitters,” Shelton told AT&T SportsNet. “That’s how you win baseball games. If you get crooked numbers, the game gets out of hand. But if you can minimize damage and go run versus rally, that’s really important.”

2. Positive spin: Pirates catcher Austin Hedges said Oviedo had all four pitches going, even though he leaned heavily on the slider (33 pitches) and fastball (23) — which combined for 15 called strikes and 27 whiffs — far more than the curve, changeup and sinker.

“I thought his stuff was amazing all camp,” Hedges told AT&T SportsNet. “It’s one of the reasons he’s on the team and he’s going to help us win a lot of games. It tends to start with spin for him. When his spin is going good, he pitches well. … He’s moving the fastball in and out, which is really nice. When he can speed some guys up with the fastball inside, it helps his slider play.”

In 2016, Johan Oviedo left Cuba. He thought his family would be joining him. Those plans fell through.

As Johan chased one dream, a new one formed, to be reunited with his family. After about seven years apart, the Oviedo family is once again whole. https://t.co/w7F2n6nJby

— Justice delos Santos (@justdelossantos) March 26, 2023

3. Family affair: The television cameras captured Oviedo’s family sitting in the stands at LECOM Park as he struck out seven without a walk while giving up two runs on six hits in five innings.

Oviedo was 18 when he signed with the Cardinals in July 2016, leaving his family behind in Cuba to play minor league baseball. He brought his parents, Yudith and Lazaro, and sister Jeanine to the United States in the offseason, so this spring marked the first time they were able to watch him pitch as a professional in person.

“It’s a great feeling, something I can’t actually describe,” Oviedo told AT&T SportsNet. “It’s really good when you finish a game and you’re back home and you have your family to cheer you up and bring you energy and good vibes. … To have them here and share in all these moments, it’s amazing.”

4. Down to two: The Opening Day roster is almost set, though it won’t be officially announced until closer to Thursday’s noon deadline, around the same time the starting lineup should be set.

“We’re getting close,” Shelton said. “I think there’s a couple spots we’re talking through as a group to decide what we’re going to do but in about seven of the spots, we’ve got a pretty good idea.”

Just a guess, but those seven are likely Hedges at catcher, Oneil Cruz at shortstop, Hayes at third base and Bryan Reynolds and Jack Suwinski in the outfield, with either Carlos Santana or Ji-Man Choi at first base and Andrew McCutchen at designated hitter while he deals with soreness in his right elbow.

That leaves Shelton to decide on starters at second base, where he can choose between Ji Hwan Bae and Rodolfo Castro, and right field, where Joe and Canaan Smith-Njigba are the candidates.

5. Making the trip: The Pirates finished training camp with 29 players on their roster but Brubaker, lefty reliever Jarlin Garcia and righty reliever Robert Stephenson are likely headed for the IL.

The Pirates left Bradenton for Cincinnati with the following players:

Catchers (2): Austin Hedges, Jason Delay.

Infielders (5): Rodolfo Castro, Ji-Man Choi, Oneil Cruz, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Carlos Santana.

Outfielders (4): Andrew McCutchen, Bryan Reynolds, Canaan Smith-Njigba, Jack Suwinski.

Utility players (2): Ji Hwan Bae, Connor Joe.

Right-handed pitchers (10): David Bednar, Roansy Contreras, Wil Crowe, Chase De Jong, Colin Holderman, Mitch Keller, Dauri Moreta, Johan Oviedo, Duane Underwood Jr., Vince Velasquez.

Left-handed pitchers (3): Jose Hernandez, Rich Hill, Rob Zastryzny.