photo: Jorge Alcalá (Denny Medley/USA TODAY Sports)
30-year-old, seven-year MLB veteran pitched for Minnesota and Boston this season amid high velocity and strikeouts, but also high walks and too many home runs allowed.
St. Louis Cardinals press release
The St. Louis Cardinals have claimed right-handed pitcher Jorge Alcalá (AL-cah-lah) off waivers from the Boston Red Sox.
Alcalá, 30, made 41 appearances between the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox this season compiling an 0-2 record with 6.64 ERA striking out 46 batters over 40.2 innings. The Red Sox acquired Alcalá from the Twins for minor league infielder Andy Lugo on June 11.
Over seven Major League seasons, the 6-foot-3, 205 lb. Alcalá has appeared in 185 games, all in relief, with career marks of 9-13 with a 4.24 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. He has one career save, coming in 2021 with the Twins.
An international free agent signee by the Houston Astros in 2014, Alcalá was traded to the Twins in 2018 in exchange for RHP Ryan Pressly. He made his Major League debut with the Twins on September 21, 2019.
Brian Walton’s take
This is the Cardinals second pitching waiver wire addition of the week, following Anthony Veneziano coming from the Miami Marlins.
After the flurry of deadline trades, the Cardinals had five openings on their 40-man roster. Veneziano and Alcalá took one each.
At this point, it has not been announced what St. Louis’ corresponding transaction will be to accommodate Alcalá’s addition to the active roster. That will come on Friday. Candidates to be optioned to Memphis include I55 Shuttle regulars Matt Svanson, Andre Granillo, Roddery Munoz, Ryan Fernandez and Gordon Graceffo.
Since 2022, Alcalá has a walk rate of 4.2 per nine innings, lessening the impact of his upper 90’s fastball and high strikeout rate (10.2 K/9 in 2025). He also tends to give up the long ball with nine in 40 2/3 innings between both stops this season.
Alcalá has one more arbitration season prior to free agency, so if he works out, he could remain for the 2026 season. Or with no minor league options available, he could just as easily be returned to the waiver wire.
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