Cardinals' NL Central rival just DFA'd reliever who could save the bullpen

The St. Louis Cardinals have an All-Star closer in Riley O'Brien, but not much else has gone right in the bullpen this year. Even their best left-handed reliever, JoJo Romero, is currently on the shelf with appendicitis, further limiting the options Oli Marmol has late in games.

Unfortunately, even hough the team is in a dogfight in the National League Wild Card race, we know that the front office won't be aggressive in adding players at the trade deadline. Romero was actually a trade candidate himself when healthy, and multiple high-ranking figures within the organization have already gone on record to explain why they won't pursue rentals or high-priced veterans before Aug. 3.

Well, the Pittsburgh Pirates may have just created the perfect loophole for the Cardinals to acquire a high-leverage reliever: Dennis Santana has been designated for assignment, adding another former closer to the market.

He's obviously not having his finest season, but there's a lot of upside to bet on here. The Cardinals would be wise to pick up Santana (for next to nothing) as a change-of-scenery candidate for the stretch run.

Dennis Santana may be Cardinals' best path to acquiring high-leverage reliever this summer

Santana is responsible for a 6.05 ERA and 5.48 FIP this year, so it's not like bringing him in would be an immediate solution to the team's bullpen woes. His command has gotten worse, he's allowing more hard contact, and he's one of the worst pitchers in the league at inducing ground balls.

So, why should the Redbirds want him? Well, those numbers are a huge departure from where he was even a year ago, when he racked up 16 saves and a 2.18 ERA while emerging as a go-to leverage option following the trade of David Bednar. Between 2024-25, Santana racked up 2.4 fWAR, which would have ranked second to only Ryan Helsley on the Cardinals during that span.

He's also a free agent at the end of the season, so there's no real harm in claiming him off waivers (or signing him as a free agent if he makes it through the process). He's only making $3.5 million in salary this year, more than $2 million of which has already been paid out by the Pirates. It's the ultimate buy-low move for someone with a strong recent track record, one which shouldn't inhibit the front office from doing something else at the trade deadline.

Assuming the Cardinals will be trying to walk the tightrope between building for the future and immediate contention this summer, there's no real reason not to take a low-risk flier on someone with Santana's talent.

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