Pirates acquire reliever Marinaccio from Padres
Santana, with 6.05 ERA, designated for assignment
AP Photo/Tony Ding
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired reliever Ron Marinaccio from San Diego on Thursday in exchange for signing bonus pool considerations.
The club, which is part of a congested race for a National League wild card spot as the trade deadline nears, made the move in the hopes of bolstering a bullpen that has faltered in key moments this season.
The 31-year-old Marinaccio went 1-0 with a 4.79 ERA in 33 games this season for the Padres. Pittsburgh will be the right-hander’s third MLB stop. Marinaccio pitched for the New York Yankees from 2022-24.
To make room for Marinaccio on the roster, Pittsburgh designated reliever Dennis Santana for assignment. Santana appeared to be the Pirates’ closer of the future after finishing with a career-best 16 saves last year, but the 30-year-old has struggled this season. He is 2-5 with a 6.05 ERA and two saves in four opportunities.
Marinaccio has 38 strikeouts and 18 walks in 47 innings. He allowed a combined seven runs on six hits with six walks (two intentional) in 4.1 innings in his last two appearances of June, but so far in July he’s pitched in five games with four scoreless, one-inning outings.
The Padres brought on Marinaccio in the sixth inning six times and in seventh, eighth or ninth seven times each this season. He’s been scored on in 14 of his 33 outings although he has gone more than one inning 17 times.