Pittsburgh Pirates Acquire Ron Marinaccio and Designate Dennis Santana for Assignment

Bullpen Shakeup: The Trade for Ron Marinaccio

The Pittsburgh Pirates moved to address ongoing bullpen instability by trading for 31-year-old right-hander Ron Marinaccio. The deal, finalized on Thursday, sends Marinaccio from San Diego to Pittsburgh in exchange for international signing bonus pool space valued at $500K, according to Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.

Marinaccio, who previously pitched for the New York Yankees from 2022-24, has appeared in 33 games for the Padres this season, posting a 1-0 record with a 4.79 ERA and 38 strikeouts over 47 innings. While his recent numbers reflect a challenging year, the Pirates appear to be betting on his past performance; from 2022 to 2025, he maintained a 3.02 ERA across 125 1/3 innings. The club hopes the right-hander can help solidify a relief corps that currently holds a collective 4.42 ERA, a mark that ranks among the league’s bottom third.

Dennis Santana Designated for Assignment

The acquisition of Marinaccio resulted in the removal of veteran reliever Dennis Santana from the Pirates’ active and 40-man rosters. The 30-year-old had been a reliable high-leverage option for the team in previous years, but his performance in 2026 proved unsustainable. Through 44 appearances this season, Santana posted a 2-5 record with a 6.05 ERA and two saves, a significant regression from his 2025 campaign, where he recorded a 2.18 ERA and 16 saves.

Santana’s struggles were highlighted by a drop in his slider’s effectiveness, with the run value of the pitch falling from 7 to -3. The frustration surrounding his performance reached a boiling point during his final outing on Monday, when a bench-clearing incident occurred following a confrontation with New York Yankees shortstop José Caballero. Santana, upset by pitch-clock tactics, had to be restrained by his teammates to prevent the situation from escalating.

The Managerial Perspective on Recent Struggles

The decision to move on from Santana follows a series of high-profile failures in late-inning situations.

Despite the team’s aggressive efforts to bolster the roster—including the earlier signing of Konnor Griffin to a nine-year extension—the bullpen’s inconsistency remains a primary obstacle in the team’s pursuit of a Wild Card spot. Because Santana has sufficient service time, he could reject an outright assignment to the minor leagues in favor of free agency. The Pirates now have up to five days to trade him or place him on outright waivers.

Looking Ahead to the August 3 Deadline

With the trade deadline approaching on August 3, the Pirates are expected to remain active. The team currently sits half a game out of a Wild Card position, and further additions to the relief group may be necessary to sustain a push for the postseason. Marinaccio, who is out of options, will need to prove his value quickly to retain his spot in a bullpen that is clearly in a state of flux.

Sources: Mlbtraderumors.