{"id":105557,"date":"2025-08-05T18:09:27","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T22:09:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=105557"},"modified":"2025-08-05T18:09:27","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T22:09:27","slug":"pirates-daily-roster-move-sanders-oviedo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/08\/05\/pirates-daily-roster-move-sanders-oviedo\/","title":{"rendered":"Pirates Daily Roster Move Involves Pitchers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Pittsburgh Pirates have optioned pitcher <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/o\/oviedjo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-08-05_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Johan Oviedo<\/a> to Triple-A Indianapolis and selected the contract of pitcher <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=sander001cam&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-08-05_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cam Sanders<\/a>. Tommy Birch of <em>Des Moines Register<\/em> 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\u2019t announced these moves as of this writing.<\/p>\n<h2>Pirates Daily Roster Move Involves Pitchers<\/h2>\n<p>If it seems like the Pirates have made a roster move daily since the trade deadline, it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The Pirates are selecting the contract of right-hander Cam Sanders, per source.<\/p>\n<p>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.<a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TommyBirch?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@TommyBirch<\/a> had it first. Oviedo will be optioned to Indy.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Alex Stumpf (@AlexJStumpf) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AlexJStumpf\/status\/1952763015494869429?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 5, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p>&nbsp;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Pirates Option Oviedo and Select Sanders<\/h3>\n<p>After spending all of 2024 on the injured list and beginning 2025 there, Oviedo was <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/08\/04\/pirates-designate-cabrera-for-assignment\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">activated<\/a> on Monday night. Pitching against the San Francisco Giants at PNC Park in his long-awaited 2025 debut, it didn&#8217;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.<\/p>\n<h3>The Latest \u201cYounger Player\u201d<\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s just as odd as the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/08\/01\/grading-pirates-2025-trade-deadline\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">trades<\/a> made by general manager Ben Cherington at this recent deadline. Cherington justified dumping the likes of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bednada01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-08-05_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">David Bednar<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/f\/falteba01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-08-05_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bailey Falter<\/a> by explaining it would \u201ccreate opportunities for younger players.\u201d The latest \u201cyounger player\u201d to get an opportunity from the Pirates is the 28-year-old Sanders, who hasn\u2019t had a taste of the major leagues until now. \u00a0The 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.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Cam Sanders - Cubs RHP Prospect Video 2019\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/310yPwzWkdo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Sanders pitched well last year for Double-A Tennessee, earning a promotion to Triple-A Iowa. Things didn\u2019t 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\u2019s posted a 1.91 ERA and 0.969 WHIP. All of his 33 appearances have been in relief, so that\u2019s where the Pirates will likely employ Sanders. Thus, it\u2019s not as though Sanders didn\u2019t earn this promotion or that his isn\u2019t a feel-good story of perseverance. It\u2019s 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\u2019t fit in with their long-term plans. Meanwhile, Pirates fans continue to wait for their first look at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=chandl002roy&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-08-05_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bubba Chandler<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=barco-000hun&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-08-05_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hunter Barco<\/a>, the Pirates\u2019 No. 2 and 3 prospects, respectively.<\/p>\n<h3>\u201cSome of the Decision-Making Makes You Scratch Your Head\u201d<\/h3>\n<p>One pitching prospect they got a glimpse of twice this season is No. 5 prospect <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/h\/harrito03.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-08-05_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tom Harrington<\/a>. When Harrington was called up in a flurry of <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/08\/01\/pirates-add-four-players-roster-moves\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">post-deadline roster moves<\/a> last Friday, it was thought he would step into the starting rotation spot <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/07\/31\/royals-acquire-left-handed-bailey-falter-pirates\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">vacated<\/a> by Bailey Falter. Instead, it was decided to use him in relief. It\u2019s a role for which he\u2019s miscast because he\u2019s not a hard thrower. Harrington\u2019s fastball averages 92.5 mph. He relies on control and moving the ball around. He relieved starter <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/h\/heanean01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-08-05_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Andrew Heaney<\/a> 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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/moretda01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-08-05_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dauri Moreta<\/a> could become the next Pirate to ride their bullpen carousel. When Oviedo\u2019s spot in the rotation next comes up, the deck will probably be shuffled once again.<\/p>\n<p>If these kinds of decisions leave you confused, you\u2019re in good company with former Pirates pitcher and tell-it-like-it-is broadcaster <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/r\/rookeji01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-08-05_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jim Rooker<\/a>. \u201cRook\u201d recently told Kevin Gorman of TribLive, \u201cI\u2019m not there [fair point \u2013 neither am I], so somebody could say he doesn\u2019t know what the hell he\u2019s talking about \u2014 but to see some of the decision-making makes you scratch your head. \u2026 It\u2019s a comedy of errors.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>The Last Word<\/h3>\n<p>Looking at the decision to option out Oviedo from the Pirates\u2019 point of view, it may not be an indictment of his pitching as much as it\u2019s 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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/b\/burromi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-08-05_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mike Burrows<\/a> fails to deliver a quality start, Sanders may not have to wait long to make his Pirates debut.<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo Credits: \u00a0Allan Henry-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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\u2019t announced these moves as [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5010,"featured_media":105569,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26,1071],"tags":[4903,6258,3215,4906,28273,6380,5829,4891,28759,28921],"class_list":["post-105557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pirates","category-mlb","tag-andrew-heaney","tag-bailey-falter","tag-ben-cherington","tag-bubba-chandler","tag-cam-sanders","tag-dauri-moreta","tag-david-bednar","tag-johan-oviedo","tag-mike-burrows","tag-thomas-harrington"],"modified_by":"Evan Mazza, Site Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105557","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5010"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105557"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105557\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":105570,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105557\/revisions\/105570"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/105569"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}