Dennis Santana has signed a minor league deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, giving the NL Wild Card contenders another bullpen option as they push for October.
The nine-year veteran right-hander joins Arizona after the Pittsburgh Pirates designated him for assignment in July. Charlie Wright of MLB Trade Rumors first reported the signing Thursday.
It’s been a tough 2026 for Santana, who started the season as Pittsburgh’s closer but lost the job after going 2-for-4 in his first save chances. The Pirates turned to lefty Gregory Soto instead.
The numbers tell the story of Santana’s struggles. He posted a 6.05 ERA in 44 appearances, allowing eight home runs while walking 11.3% of batters faced. That’s a far cry from his 2025 breakout.
What makes this situation interesting is how much Santana’s stuff has changed. Wright noted the velocity drop that’s plagued him this year:
“The stuff has ticked down slightly for Santana in 2026. He averaged a career-low 94.1 mph on his fastball. His slider sat at 85.6 mph, a 1.4 mph drop from 2025. The four-seamer/slider combo is Santana’s bread and butter, but it performed poorly this year.”
The D-Backs are betting they can help Santana rediscover what made him effective just one season ago.
That 2025 campaign was special – Santana posted a 2.18 ERA across 70 appearances with Pittsburgh, easily the best season of his career since debuting with the Dodgers in 2018. He looked like a different pitcher entirely.
Arizona’s front office has shown they’re willing to take calculated risks on reclamation projects, especially with their bullpen needs. Santana brings 22 career saves and plenty of experience, even if the recent results haven’t been pretty.
The Pirates claimed Santana off waivers from the White Sox back in 2024, and he spent two and a half seasons there before this summer’s struggles led to his release.
Now it’s up to Arizona’s pitching development staff to see if they can get Santana’s velocity back up and his slider sharp again. With the Wild Card race heating up, they could use all the help they can get.
