The Cardinals have designated right-hander Ryan Loutos for assignment, per the team. He’s the corresponding move for the previously reported promotion of infielder/outfielder Jose Barrero. The Cards have formally announced the selection of Barrero’s contract and optioned infielder Thomas Saggese to Triple-A Memphis.
Loutos, 26, made his big league debut with the Cardinals last summer, appearing in three games and tossing 2 1/3 innings of shutout ball. The undrafted free agent originally signed with the Cards after the 2021 draft and has steadily climbed the minor league ranks, posting solid numbers with the exception of a rough 2023 campaign.
In 2024, Loutos pitched 53 innings and tallied 18 saves in Triple-A. He logged a 3.40 ERA in Memphis, punched out 25.8% of his opponents and issued walks at a 10% clip. It wasn’t necessarily a dominant performance, but Loutos sat 94.3 mph with his heater and induced swinging strikes at a roughly average rate. His velocity is up a bit this season, sitting 94.6 mph in Triple-A, and he’s held opponents to three runs on seven hits and a pair of walks with six strikeouts in seven innings. All three of those runs allowed came in his first appearance of the season. He’s since rattled off seven shutout frames.
The Cardinals will have to either trade Loutos or place him on waivers within the next five days. Waivers would be another 48-hour process, meaning the maximum length of his stay in the proverbial DFA limbo will be one week.
Loutos is an interesting DFA choice. Wonder if any other teams will put in a claim or if he’ll just report back to Memphis.
My guess is there are better candidates to DFA besides this guy. He’s performed. He performed in 2024 he’s performed in 2025 and he performed in a small sample size in the bigs last year. He appears ready to get an extended big league opportunity I dont know why the Cardinals cant give him one.
It’s odd that Fermin wasn’t DFA’ed. He hasn’t hit at all in a fair number of PA’S, and if he has fallen behind Barrero as the next can’t hit backup infielder, then why keep him around.
Not that Loutos is a great prospect either, but I’d rather keep him between the two.
Michael Helman, too
I thought Loutos was helping in a technological way, too with the idea that he moves into that department for Cardinals if his playing career fizzles. Could be thinking of someone else
Same guy but that was his past as he’s been pitching last few years
We have too many AAA players that are playing in the major leagues or getting their shot. Time to go with real youth
Seems like an odd choice to risk giving up Loutos just to add Barrero when there isn’t any immediate need for him.
A right handed hitting outfielder is needed, besides Walker.
Also carrying 3 first basemen is odd.
They’ve got no pitching depth, and who do they decide to DFA? Go figger….