Overview
- The Diamondbacks signed right-hander Dennis Santana to a minor-league contract, a move reported Thursday by multiple outlets and entered in MLB.com’s transaction log.
- Santana was designated for assignment by the Pittsburgh Pirates in late July after a sharp 2026 decline that produced a 6.05 ERA, eight home runs allowed, an 11.3% walk rate, and a career-low average fastball of 94.1 mph.
- Arizona’s front office sees the deal as low risk and will run targeted adjustments on Santana’s delivery and usage at the club’s pitching lab, a plan described by assistant GM Jeremy Bleich as focused on short-term, fixable differences from his 2025 form.
- The signing answers a bullpen need created by Paul Sewald’s demotion from closing duties, the club’s limited trade-deadline pitching moves, Brandyn Garcia’s emergence as a higher-leverage option, and Justin Martinez’s ongoing rehab.
- Santana’s track record gives the move upside: he posted a 2.18 ERA and a career-high 16 saves in 2025, but he must show clear improvement in the minors to earn a major-league recall before the season ends.