The St. Louis Cardinals have made an unexpected change to their pitching organization, parting ways with 26-year-old right-handed pitcher as the club battles through an important series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
The move came Monday, August 10, when the Memphis Redbirds, St. Louis’ Triple-A affiliate, released Santos. MLB’s official transaction log confirms that the Redbirds released the right-hander on August 10.
The timing of the decision is notable because it came on the same day the Cardinals opened their home series against Philadelphia. St. Louis suffered a narrow 6-5 defeat to the Phillies in the series opener at Busch Stadium, adding to the pressure surrounding a team still attempting to remain in the National League playoff race.
Santos’ departure is particularly significant because he never appeared in a regular-season game for the Cardinals at the major-league level.
The right-hander had spent much of his professional career working his way through the minor leagues, including stops with the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox organizations before joining St. Louis. He had accumulated parts of seven minor-league seasons but had still not received his first opportunity in the majors.
The Cardinals originally acquired Santos from Boston in December 2023 as part of the trade that sent outfielder Tyler O’Neill to the Red Sox. St. Louis later re-signed Santos to a minor-league contract in January 2025 after he had previously been released by the organization.
Santos Was Having a Respectable 2026 Season
Despite the release, Santos had produced respectable numbers in the minor leagues before being let go.
According to Heavy, he had posted a 2-2 record with a 2.74 ERA in 17 minor-league appearances during the 2026 season. That performance suggested he was still capable of providing useful depth, making the decision to move on from him an interesting development.
His season was also interrupted by injury. MLB’s transaction history shows that Memphis placed Santos on the 60-day injured list in March before activating him on July 1. He subsequently went through several rehabilitation assignments before returning to the Redbirds.
Santos was sent on rehab assignments to the Cardinals’ lower-level affiliates during June, including the Florida Complex League Cardinals, Palm Beach Cardinals, Springfield Cardinals and Peoria Chiefs. He eventually returned to Memphis before being released.
Another Opportunity Could Come Quickly
Although the Cardinals have ended their relationship with Santos, the 26-year-old could still have an opportunity to continue his professional career elsewhere.
His age, experience and 2.74 ERA in 2026 could make him an intriguing minor-league option for another organization looking for pitching depth. Heavy noted that it will be worth watching to see whether Santos is picked up by another team before the end of the season.
For Santos, the immediate challenge will be finding another organization willing to give him an opportunity to continue his development and potentially make the major-league debut he has yet to achieve.
The transaction also comes at a critical point in St. Louis’ season.
The Cardinals entered Tuesday with a 59-60 record through 119 games, sitting third in the National League Central. They were 4.5 games behind the final National League playoff spot, meaning there was little room for error with the season entering its final stretch.
St. Louis had gone 5-5 over its previous 10 games and was trying to gain ground in the playoff race when Philadelphia arrived at Busch Stadium.
After the Phillies series, the Cardinals are scheduled to travel to Chicago for a series against the Cubs beginning Friday at Wrigley Field.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia entered Tuesday with a 64-56 record and was second in the National League East. The Phillies had also won seven of their previous 10 games, making the series an especially difficult test for St. Louis.
Santos’ release is primarily a minor-league roster move rather than a major-league shake-up. Because he never reached the Cardinals’ MLB roster, the move does not directly remove a contributor from Oliver Marmol’s major-league pitching staff.
Still, it represents another decision within an organization that is evaluating its personnel while attempting to stay alive in the postseason race.
For Santos, meanwhile, the next chapter of his career could begin elsewhere. After years in the minor leagues and a 2026 campaign that included both injury rehabilitation and encouraging results on the mound, he will now look for another organization willing to give him a chance.
The Cardinals have officially moved on. The bigger question now is whether another club will give the 26-year-old right-hander the opportunity to continue chasing his long-awaited MLB debut.
