The Padres announced they have acquired the right-hander. Ron Marinaccio from Padre. The brothers, who recently appointed him to this position, receive in return compensation from an international bonus fund. In a corresponding move, Pittsburgh designated a right-hander Dennis Santana for appointment.
Santana, 30, is having a very disappointing year. This is especially true considering how good he was last season. In 2025, he pitched 70 1/3 innings in Pittsburgh’s bullpen, allowing 2.18 earned runs per nine. He got some help from his .211 batting average and 80.7% strikeout rate, but his 22.2% strikeout rate and 6.3% walk rate were respectable numbers. Even his adjusted numbers, like a 3.21 FIP and 3.68 SIERA, indicated he was having a pretty good year.
The Bucs offered him a contract through 2026, agreeing to a salary of $3.5 million. These investments did not pay off. Santana posted a 6.05 ERA through 41 2/3 innings. His strikeout rate (19.9%) was down from last year, while his walk rate increased to 11.3%.
The Pirates decided to make a change and cut him from the roster several months before he was set to become a free agent. DFA uncertainty can last up to a week. The opt-out process takes 48 hours, so the Books could take up to five days to verify whether there is any trade interest. This year’s performance will certainly reduce his trade value. If he accepted the waiver, he would have had enough time to both forego the designation entirely in favor of free agency and keep the money he is still owed.
Marinaccio, 31, is in a similar place. He has also had some success in the major leagues, but is not having his best season. From 2022 to 2025, he threw 125 1/3 innings with a 3.02 ERA. His 12.3% walk rate was too high, but he struck out 28.3% of batters. This year he threw 47 innings with a 4.79 ERA. His walk rate dropped to 8.9%, but he only knocked out 18.7% of opponents.
He’s out of options, which is why he was pushed out of San Diego’s lineup, but they’ll get some cap space back when he leaves. As for the Pirates, perhaps they see a way to get Marinaccio back on track. He can be controlled for three seasons after that, so he has more potential long-term impact than Santana. However, since he is out of options and struggling, he should have a weak position in the lineup.
The Bucs are clearly trying to break their postseason drought this year. Lately they have been acting very aggressively. They made bold pickups in the off-season Brandon Lowe, Ryan O’Hearn and others. They signed a contract shortly after the start of the season. Connor Griffin to a large nine-year extension. They are currently a half game out of a Wild Card spot, but the bullpen is a big issue. The team’s pitchers have a collective 4.42 ERA, which puts them in the bottom third of the league. They should try to support the aid group between now and the August 3 deadline.
If they make a number of additions, then perhaps Marinaccio will be pushed out of the lineup again. For now, he will join the Pirates and try to score better than he did with the Padres.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClair, Imagn Images