photo: Zak Kent (USA TODAY Sports)
The St. Louis Cardinals have claimed right-handed relief pitcher Zak Kent off waivers for the second time in three months. Another recent waiver addition, third baseman Bryan Ramos, has been designated for assignment.
St. Louis Cardinals release
The St. Louis Cardinals announced today (February 16) that they have claimed right-handed pitcher Zak Kent off waivers from the Texas Rangers and added him to their 40-player roster. Infielder Bryan Ramos has been designated for assignment to make room for Kent’s addition to the team’s Major League roster.
Kent, 27, re-joins the Cardinals organization after first having been acquired by St. Louis on December 5, 2025 in a waiver claim from Cleveland. Texas had claimed Kent off waivers from the Cardinals on January 9.
The 6-3, 205-pound Kent debuted with the Guardians in 2025 and posted a 1-0 record with a 4.58 ERA and 16 strikeouts over his 17.2 innings pitched in 12 appearances.
Originally selected by the Texas Rangers in the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft out of Virginia Military Institute, Kent has made 117 career minor league appearances (63 starts) while posting a 13-16 mark with a 4.13 ERA.
After pitching the entire 2024 Spring Training season with the Rangers, Kent was traded to Cleveland on March 28 and sent to Triple-A Columbus. He was moved to a relief role for the entirety of the 2025 season with 34 appearances in Columbus, posting a 2-3 record with a 2.84 ERA and two saves.
Kent made his Major League debut with Cleveland vs. the New York Yankees on April 23, 2025, pitching a career-high 3.0 innings. His first Major League win came in his final appearance of the season, pitching 2.0 innings in a 9-8 win over his original drafting team, the Texas Rangers, at Progressive Field.
The Henrico, Va. native has allowed just one home run to 76 total batters faced in the Major Leagues, that coming in his final appearance of 2025. He held opposing right-handed batters to a .552 OPS.
Brian Walton’s take
All the waiver claims are just the tip of the iceberg. Kent’s transaction log at MiLB.com indicates that the 27-year-old was optioned to Triple-A at least six times during the 2025 season.
Even so, the Virginia native appeared in just 12 games for the Guardians, posting a 4.58 ERA in 17 2/3 innings. Kent struck out 16 but walked eight (4.1 BB per nine innings pitched).
The rest of 2025, the slider specialist was with Triple-A Columbus, posting a 2.84 ERA in 38 innings over 34 games. He fanned 50 but issued 21 free passes, a rate of 5.0 walks per nine innings.
Kent was originally Texas’ ninth-round pick in the 2019 draft from Virginia Military Institute (VMI). He moved up through the Rangers system and first reached Triple-A in 2022, but he then missed most of 2023 due to an oblique strain.
At the end of spring training 2024, the Rangers traded Kent to the Cleveland Guardians in return for international bonus pool space. After pitching in Triple-A, Kent was designated for assignment, cleared waivers and was released in early July 2024. He re-signed with the same organization a few days later and finished the season in Triple-A.
Kent pitched in the Arizona Fall League twice, for the Rangers in 2023 and the Guardians in 2024.
To open 2025, Kent came to camp as a non-roster invitee. On April 21, he received his 40-man spot back and joined the Guardians for the first time. The right-hander made his MLB debut two days later.
However, Kent will not be riding the Triple-A shuttle for the Cardinals unless he is later removed from the 40-man and clears waivers. The reason is that he first joined the Rangers’ 40-man roster in late 2022 to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft. In the meantime, he has exhausted all three of his minor league options.
So, either Kent will make St. Louis’ 26-man roster out of 2026 spring camp or it is not guaranteed that he will be around much longer.
Just 10 days ago, on Friday, February, 6, the Cardinals claimed Ramos off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles.
The 23-year-old was an Oriole for just five days, as his contract was acquired from the Chicago White Sox on February 1 for cash considerations. Ramos had been designated for assignment by the Pale Hose, with the cash deal likely done because Baltimore feared that Ramos would have been first claimed by another club with higher priority in the waiver process.
Especially given Ramos’ short time with them, the Orioles likely acquired him with the hope they could sneak him though waivers and stash him in Triple-A, reusing the 40-man roster spot on another player. Now, the Cardinals appear to be trying the same.
Ramos, a Havana, Cuba native, was a July 2nd signing by the White Sox in 2018. After reaching Double-A in 2022, he was selected to the 40-man roster that November to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. He spent all of 2023 at Double-A and also performed in the Arizona Fall League.
To open 2024, Ramos returned to Double-A, and in early May, made the unusual move from there straight to MLB. For the remainder of that season and all of 2025, he toggled back and forth multiple times between Chicago and Triple-A. In the process, Ramos used up all three of his minor league options. This is a crucial fact that limits flexibility of any team that employs him – unless they can get him off their 40-man roster.
In 169 career games at the Triple-A level, Ramos has slashed .235/.321/.404/.725 with 24 home runs. His K rate is 21.8% and walk rate is just 9.4%.
The Cardinals have seven days to trade or release Ramos. He will leave the organization if claimed off waivers or if he clears, he could be assigned to Triple-A Memphis.
St. Louis’ 40-man roster remains full.
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