The St. Louis Cardinals have quietly parted ways with 24-year-old right-handed pitcher. The move came while St. Louis was dealing with the Philadelphia Phillies in an important series.
He originally joined the Cardinals organization after St. Louis selected him from the New York Mets in the Triple-A phase of the 2024 Rule 5 Draft. He had spent several seasons in the Mets’ minor-league system before making the move.
The Dominican pitcher entered 2026 as a Cardinals prospect and was assigned to the High-A Peoria Chiefs. MLB’s records show that he was assigned to St. Louis on March 9, 2026.
His 2026 campaign had been difficult. MiLB lists him with a 5.63 ERA, 32 innings and 38 strikeouts in 26 appearances, along with a 1.69 WHIP.
Despite those struggles, Ramírez has shown significant strikeout ability during his minor-league career. In April, he famously recorded four strikeouts in a single inning for Peoria, a performance highlighted by MLB.com. The release represents another change for a pitcher who once showed considerable promise. Ramírez was the 2022 FCL Pitcher of the Year with the Mets and accumulated a career minor-league ERA around 3.5 before his reported departure from St. Louis.
The Cardinals have moved on from Ramírez after he struggled in the minors during 2026. His release is relatively low-profile because he had not reached the major leagues, but it ends his stint with an organization that acquired him through the Rule 5 process.
