Dennis Santana is back on the market after clearing waivers and choosing free agency following his designation for assignment by the Pirates last week, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
The move makes sense given how his season went in Pittsburgh. Santana put up a 6.05 ERA for the Pirates this year, and with a $3.5MM salary attached, he was never likely to draw much trade interest or serious attention on waivers.
Because Santana has at least five years of service time, he can turn down an outright assignment without giving back any salary. Pittsburgh is still responsible for the roughly $1.1MM left on his deal. Any club that signs him now would only owe the prorated league minimum for the time he spends on its roster, with that amount offset against what the Pirates pay.
That new financial setup should make him more appealing than he was on waivers, even if the interest is likely to be modest. He could land a major league spot somewhere, but minor league offers are also on the table.
Santana’s 2025 numbers were rough beyond the ERA. He struck out 19.9% of hitters and walked 11.3%, both marks that lagged behind where a reliever wants to be.
Still, he’s not far removed from a much better stretch. After the Pirates claimed him from the Yankees in June of 2024, he gave Pittsburgh 114 2/3 innings through the end of 2025 and posted a 2.28 ERA with a 24.9% strikeout rate and 6.3% walk rate. Some of that success came with a .230 batting average on balls in play and a 77.4% strand rate, but his 2.91 FIP and 3.35 SIERA suggested the performance was legitimate even with more normal luck.
There are plenty of clubs still looking for bullpen help, and Santana won’t be the first name on anyone’s list. But now that he’s inexpensive and has recent big league success on his résumé, he should get some calls.
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