The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired reliever Ron Marinaccio from the San Diego Padres in exchange for international signing bonus pool money, the teams announced Thursday.
To make room for Marinaccio on the 40-man roster, Pittsburgh designated right-hander Dennis Santana for assignment.
Santana, who joined the Pirates as a waiver claim in June 2024, was supposed to be the anchor of the team's bullpen this year. He put up a career-best 2.18 ERA with 60 strikeouts and 16 saves last season and entered 2026 as Pittsburgh's closer.
However, the 30-year-old has regressed rapidly this year, sporting a 6.05 ERA, 5.48 FIP, and 1.51 WHIP with just two saves and a 4.5 BB/9 rate across 44 appearances. Santana, who allowed just one earned run in his first 13 innings of the season, owns an 8.48 ERA and 6.52 FIP since April 25.
Santana was involved in some controversy during his final appearance for the Pirates on Monday. After retiring New York Yankees shortstop José Caballero to end the eighth inning, Santana - upset by Caballero's apparent pitch-clock manipulation tactics - exchanged words with the utility player, causing both benches to clear. Santana had to be held back by his teammates in order to avoid the fracas being escalated any further.
Marinaccio, 31, adds another right-hander to the Pirates' middle relief corps. The five-year veteran put up a 4.79 ERA, 5.32 FIP, and 1.45 WHIP along with 38 strikeouts and 18 walks over 33 appearances for the Padres before being DFA'd on Sunday.
