Cardinals Acquire Lefty Eduardo Rivera From Red Sox

The Cardinals acquired 23-year-old left-hander Eduardo Rivera from the Red Sox on November 3, with Boston receiving Juan García, an 18-year-old right-handed pitcher. The deal came less than a day after Rivera was designated for assignment as Boston made room on its 40-man roster. The designation gave the Red Sox seven days to trade him or place him on waivers.

Rivera made his major league debut in 2026, appearing in four games for Boston and recording a 6.30 ERA. He also pitched 55⅔ innings across 26 minor league appearances, posting a 2.59 ERA with 71 strikeouts and 30 walks. At Triple-A, he had a 2.96 ERA in 24 appearances, with three outings as a starter.

The 6-foot-7, 237-pound pitcher throws a fastball that can approach 100 mph. He made three starts in his four major league games and five starts in the minors. Rivera could be used by St. Louis as a reliever or as a possible rotation option.

García, who is from Mexico, has pitched in the Dominican Summer League for the past two years. In 2026, he made 11 starts and allowed a 4.40 ERA over 43 innings.

The trade was the third between Boston baseball executive Craig Breslow and Cardinals leader Chaim Bloom in the past year. The clubs previously made separate deals involving Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras. Boston had also traded Nate Eaton to Oakland and Tsung-Che Cheng to Detroit during the first week of the offseason.