Twins Claim Zak Kent
The Twins announced Thursday that they’ve claimed righty Zak Kent off waivers from the Cardinals, who’d designated him for assignment a few days ago. Righty Pablo López, who underwent an internal brace procedure yesterday and will miss the entire 2026 season, was transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster.
Kent joins his third team since spring training opened and his fourth of the offseason. The 28-year-old (as of Tuesday) finished the 2025 campaign on the Guardians’ roster but has since bounced to the Cardinals, Rangers, back to the Cardinals, and now to the Twins following a series of DFAs. There’s fortunately no cross-country journey for him this time around, as the Twins and Cardinals both play their spring games in Florida’s Grapefruit League.
The 2025 season saw Kent make his big league debut with Cleveland, tossing 17 2/3 innings with a 4.58 ERA, 21.1% strikeout rate and 10.5% walk rate. Most of his season was spent with the Guardians’ top affiliate in Columbus, where Kent notched a 2.84 ERA and set down a gaudy 31.4% of his opponents on strikes — albeit against an ugly 13.2% walk rate. Kent isn’t an especially hard thrower, sitting 93.1 mph with his four-seamer in 2025, but he missed plenty of bats in the upper minors thanks to the quality of his mid-80s slider and low-80s curveball.
Kent is entering his final minor league option year. He’s actually already exhausted the standard three option years allotted to players, but teams can be granted fourth option years based on a player’s minor league injury history and/or the speed with which they burn through those original option years. He’ll give the Twins another option to consider in a wide-open bullpen mix that has only Cole Sands, Anthony Banda, Taylor Rogers and Justin Topa locked into spots. In parts of four Triple-A seasons, Kent carries a 3.74 ERA, a 26% strikeout rate and a 12% walk rate.
Cardinals Designate Zak Kent For Assignment
The Cardinals have designated right-hander Zak Kent for assignment, the team announced. The move opens up a spot on the 40-man roster for Ramon Urias, who agreed to a one-year deal. St. Louis claimed Kent off waivers from the Rangers earlier this week.
It’s been a whirlwind offseason for Kent, with the Cardinals at the center of it. The club picked him up off waivers from the Guardians back in December. After about a month in the organization, he lost his spot when St. Louis landed left-hander Justin Bruihl. The Rangers claimed Kent, but bumped him off the roster when they signed left-hander Jordan Montgomery. Kent’s most recent stint with the Cardinals lasted just five days.
The 27-year-old had an unremarkable debut with Cleveland this past season. He pitched to a 4.58 ERA in 17 2/3 innings. Kent showed a three-pitch arsenal in his 12 appearances, throwing each of his four-seamer, slider, and curveball at least 25% of the time. The righty used the slider on nearly 40% of his offerings. It held opponents to a .138 batting average. The slider was also his best whiff pitch.
It’s likely the Triple-A numbers that have teams intrigued by Kent. He has a career 3.74 ERA in 122 2/3 innings at the level. Kent posted back-to-back seasons with a K/9 above 11 at Columbus. He had a sub-3.00 ERA with a 31.4% strikeout rate in 34 appearances with the Clippers in 2025.
Photo courtesy of Ken Blaze, Imagn Images
Cardinals To Claim Zak Kent, Designate Bryan Ramos
The Cardinals have claimed right-hander Zak Kent off waivers from the Rangers, reports Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Texas had designated Kent for assignment last week to clear space for left-hander Jordan Montgomery. Both teams have confirmed the move.
St. Louis designated infielder Bryan Ramos for assignment to add Kent. Ramos was claimed off waivers from the Orioles in early February.
It’s Kent’s second stint this offseason with the Cardinals. His transaction carousel began in December, when St. Louis grabbed him off waivers from the Guardians. He lasted about a month, then was bumped off the roster when the Cardinals acquired left-hander Justin Bruihl. The Rangers claimed him shortly thereafter.
Kent was drafted by Texas in 2019. The 28-year-old had spent his entire career with the organization until a cash deal sent him to Cleveland. Kent made it up for his big-league debut in April of this past season. He notched a 4.58 ERA across 12 appearances with the Guardians. Kent posted a 21.1% strikeout rate to go with a double-digit walk rate.
While his numbers were somewhat underwhelming with the Guardians, Kent put up a strong campaign at Triple-A in 2025. He cruised to a 2.84 ERA with a strong 31.4% strikeout rate. Kent picked up his first two professional saves with the Clippers.
The Cardinals now send Ramos back to DFA limbo just 10 days after claiming him. The 23-year-old infielder had spent his entire career in the White Sox organization before being dealt for cash to the Orioles a couple of weeks back. He’ll provide depth in the minors if St. Louis can get him through waivers.
Ramos has appeared in each of the past two seasons with the White Sox. He’s totaled 120 plate appearances as a big leaguer, slashing .198/.244/.333 in the brief sample. Ramos has only appeared at third base with Chicago, but he has minor league experience at first base, second base, and left field.
Photo courtesy of Ken Blaze, Imagn Images
Rangers Designate Zak Kent For Assignment
The Rangers announced Friday that they’ve designated right-hander Zak Kent for assignment. His spot on the 40-man roster goes to left-hander Jordan Montgomery, whose one-year deal to return to Texas is now official.
The 27-year-old Kent was just claimed off waivers last month, but he’s no stranger to the organization. Texas selected him in the ninth round of the 2019 draft, and the right-hander pitched in their system all the way through 2023 before being traded to Cleveland just prior to Opening Day 2024.
Kent made his big league debut with the Guards in 2025, tossing 17 2/3 innings with a 4.58 ERA, 21.1% strikeout rate and 10.5% walk rate in that small sample. He spent the bulk of the season in Triple-A Columbus, where he logged a tidy 2.84 earned run average with a huge 31.4% strikeout rate … and also a huge 13.2% walk rate. He sat 93.1 mph with his four-seamer, complementing the pitch with an 85.7 mph slider and an 81.3 mph curveball.
Since the 2025 season ended, Kent has bounced from the Guardians, to the Cardinals, to the Rangers via waivers. He’ll now very likely find himself on waivers once again, though the Rangers could also spend the next five days searching for a trade partner as well. Kent has exhausted his three minor league option years, but Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported in December that he’s eligible for a fourth option year (which are typically granted for players who miss significant minor league time with injury or exhaust their first three option years within their first five professional seasons).
Rangers Claim Zak Kent
The Rangers announced that they have claimed right-hander Zak Kent off waivers from the Cardinals. St. Louis had designated the righty for assignment earlier this week. Texas had a 40-man vacancy and doesn’t need to make a corresponding move.
Kent, 28 in February, returns to his original organization. The Rangers drafted him back in 2019. He got a 40-man roster spot in November of 2022, to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. In March of 2024, he was traded to the Guardians for international bonus pool space.
He made his major league debut with Cleveland in 2025, allowing nine earned runs in 17 2/3 innings. He averaged around 93 miles per hour with both his four-seamer and sinker, while also throwing a slider and a curveball. In the minors, he flashed big strikeout numbers but also a lack of control. He tossed 38 Triple-A innings last year with a 2.84 ERA. He gave out free passes at a huge 13.2% clip but also struck out 31.4% of batters faced and got grounders on 54% of balls in play.
The Guards nudged him off their roster. The Cardinals claimed him off waivers in early December. St. Louis designated Kent for assignment this week when they acquired Justin Bruihl from Cleveland.
Kent still has an option, so the Rangers don’t need to keep him on the big league roster. He gives them an extra arm in their bullpen mix with some roster flexibility. He has just 37 days of big league service time, so he can be retained well into the future if he hangs onto his 40-man spot and has a good season.
Photo courtesy of Ken Blaze, Imagn Images
Cardinals Acquire Justin Bruihl, Designate Zak Kent For Assignment
The Cardinals have acquired left-hander Justin Bruihl from the Guardians in exchange for cash considerations, according to announcements from both clubs. Bruihl had been designated for assignment by Cleveland last month. Right-hander Zak Kent has been designated for assignment by the Cards today in a corresponding 40-man roster move.
It’s the second cash deal of the winter for Bruihl, who will turn 29 in June. The lefty began the offseason with the Blue Jays but was bumped off the roster when Toronto signed right-hander Tyler Rogers last month. The Guardians sent some cash north of the order to grab Bruihl but then designated him for assignment three days later when they signed Shawn Armstrong. DFA limbo normally lasts a maximum of one week but there are different rules around the holidays, so Bruihl was hanging out there for almost three weeks.
He now finally has some resolution and it could be a good spot for him to carve out some big league playing time. Bruihl posted good numbers in 2025 but exhausted his final option season, which pushed him to the fringes of Toronto’s roster. The Jays have been busy upgrading their pitching staff for another run at competing in 2026 and bumped Bruihl off. Cleveland had one of the best bullpens in the league last year and was also going to have a tough time keeping the southpaw around for long.
But the Cardinals are rebuilding and should therefore have a bit more breathability in their relief group. JoJo Romero is currently the top lefty in their projected bullpen but he is one year away from free agency, making him likely to be traded in the coming weeks. If Romero is dealt, that would leave Bruihl and Nick Raquet as the two lefty relievers on the St. Louis 40-man roster. Raquet was called up late in the 2025 season and has just two big league innings under his belt.
Bruihl has thrown 89 2/3 innings over multiple seasons between the Dodgers, Rockies and Blue Jays. Toronto only let him throw 13 2/3 big league innings in 2025 but he fared decently, despite posting a 5.27 earned run average. His 10.8% walk rate was a bit high in that small sample but his 27.7% strikeout rate and 46.2% ground ball rate were both a few ticks better than average. He also logged 42 Triple-A innings last year with a 3.43 ERA, 27.8% strikeout rate, 9.1% walk rate and 58.4% ground ball rate.
The Cards could perhaps sign some veterans before Opening Day but it’s a decent landing spot for Bruihl to get some more time in the majors. If he succeeds with the Cardinals in 2026, they could keep the relationship going. He currently has one year and 112 days of service time, meaning he’s five years away from free agency. He would also be affordable for the rebuilding club, as he is still in his pre-arbitration years.
Kent, 28 in February, has never pitched for the Cardinals. He was just claimed off waivers from the Guardians a month ago. He made his major league debut with the Guards last year, posting a 4.58 ERA in 17 2/3 innings. His 21.1% strikeout rate, 10.5% walk rate and 37.3% ground ball rate were all a bit worse than league average.
He does have some interesting minor league numbers. He tossed 38 Triple-A innings last year with a 2.84 ERA. He got grounders on 54% of balls in play at that level and struck out 31.4% of batters faced, though he also gave out walks at a high clip of 13.2%.
Like Bruihl, Kent is out of options, though Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported last month that he is eligible for a fourth option year. Perhaps that will help him latch on somewhere else. The Cards will now have seven days of DFA limbo to figure out what’s next for Kent. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so they will have a maximum of five days to field trade interest.
Photo courtesy of Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images
Cardinals Claim Zak Kent
The Cardinals announced Friday that they’ve claimed right-hander Zak Kent off waivers from the Guardians. The Cards already had a pair of 40-man vacancies and are now up to 39 players on the roster.
Kent, 28 in February, made his big league debut in Cleveland this past season. He tossed 17 2/3 innings out of the Guards’ bullpen and yielded nine earned runs (4.58 ERA) with a 21.1% strikeout rate and 10.5% walk rate. Kent averaged 92.6 mph on his four-seamer and 93.6 mph on a sparsely used sinker. His breaking offerings include a mid-80s slider and a low-80s curveball.
Though Kent didn’t show much in his relatively limited run at the MLB level, he turned in a sharp 2.84 ERA in 38 Triple-A frames last year. Command issues still plagued him, evidenced by 13.2% walk rate, but he also set down more than 31% of his opponents on strikes. He’s long been credited as having a pair of plus breaking pitches, but his sub-par fastball velocity and poor command have undercut the quality of both those breaking pitches.
Kent is out of minor league options, so the Cardinals can’t send him to Triple-A Memphis next season without first passing him through waivers. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Kent is eligible for a fourth option, so perhaps the Cards will apply for that and be granted another option for Kent. There’s no guarantee he makes it to spring training on the 40-man roster, but if he does stick on the roster all winter, Kent should have an opportunity to win a job in what should be a wide-open competition for at least four bullpen spots (five, if the Cardinals trade JoJo Romero, as expected).
Guardians Select George Valera
Active rosters expand from 26 to 28 today. Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports that the Guardians are calling up outfielders George Valera and Jhonkensy Noel as well as right-hander Zak Kent. Infielder Will Wilson is being optioned to open a third active roster spot. Valera wasn’t on the 40-man but the Guardians had vacancies there.
Valera, now 24, was once one of the top prospects in baseball. He crushed his way through the lower levels of the minors. He was eligible for the Rule 5 draft back in the 2021-22 offseason but the Guards made the easy decision to give him a 40-man spot and protect him.
More recently, some injuries and Triple-A struggles dropped his stock. Hamate surgery and a hamstring strain limited him to just 79 games in 2023. Another hamstring strain limited him at the start of 2024 and then that season was later ended by surgery to address a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee. As the recovery for that procedure was going to carry into 2025, the Guards decided to non-tender Valera. That opened a 40-man roster spot for the offseason, when there’s no injured list, but ran the risk of Valera signing elsewhere.
Thankfully, the Guards were able to get him back via a minor league deal for 2025 and he has seemingly gotten back on track at the plate somewhat. Over those injury-shortened 2023 and 2024 campaigns, he slashed .235/.343/.427 in the minors for a wRC+ of 99. Here in 2025, he has been able to appear in 28 Triple-A contests with a .255/.346/.457 line and 113 wRC+.
Though he spent two years on Cleveland’s 40-man, this is his first time getting called up to the show. He is in today’s lineup, batting seventh and serving as the designated hitter, and will make his major league debut in the process.
The Guards are hanging around the playoff race, currently just four games back of the final Wild Card spot, and will add Valera into the outfield mix alongside Noel, Steven Kwan, Daniel Schneemann, C.J. Kayfus, Nolan Jones and Ángel Martínez.
Going forward, Valera could spend more time in Triple-A next year if the Guards don’t have big league playing time for him. Given how much time he has missed due to injury, he would ideally get regular playing time somewhere. He spent three years on the 40-man and therefore burned three options but the Guards could apply for a fourth for 2026. A team is sometimes granted a fourth option for a player who has missed significant time due to injury.
Photo courtesy of Adam Cairns, Imagn Images.
Guardians Reinstate Erik Sabrowski, Transfer Will Brennan To 60-Day IL
The Guardians announced today that left-hander Erik Sabrowski has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Right-hander Zak Kent has been optioned to Triple-A Columbus as the corresponding active roster move. To open a 40-man spot, outfielder Will Brennan has been transferred to the 60-day IL. The 40-man roster remains full.
Sabrowski, 27, had a very promising big league debut. He was added to Cleveland’s roster at the end of August last year and tossed 12 2/3 scoreless innings down the stretch, striking out a massive 40.4% of batters faced in that small sample of work. The Guards carried him on the roster into the postseason, where he added 5 1/3 innings with just one earned run allowed.
He hasn’t yet been able to build on that here in 2025. He missed spring training due to some inflammation in his pitching elbow and landed on the IL to start the year. He was healthy enough to start a rehab assignment by the end of May and has since allowed four earned runs in nine minor league innings. He’ll give the Guards a third lefty in the bullpen alongside Tim Herrin and Kolby Allard.
Brennan, 27, underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this month. He’ll spend the rest of the season on the IL, collecting big league pay and service time. He should qualify for arbitration this winter as a Super Two player, though his mostly lost season will hamper his ability to earn a meaningful raise in that system.
Photo courtesy of Wendell Cruz, Imagn Images
Guardians Activate Slade Cecconi
TODAY: The Guardians have officially announced Cecconi’s activation. Right-hander Zak Kent was optioned to Columbus in the corresponding move.
MAY 16: The Guardians will activate Slade Cecconi from the 15-day injured list to start tomorrow against Cincinnati, relays Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. It will be the right-hander’s team debut. He was acquired from the Diamondbacks in the offseason Josh Naylor trade.
Cecconi, 25, probably would have opened the season in Stephen Vogt’s rotation had he been healthy. He strained his left oblique during Spring Training. He has made a trio of rehab starts with Triple-A Columbus over the past couple weeks. Cecconi has allowed seven runs over 13 innings. He got through 5 2/3 frames and tallied 68 pitches over the weekend.
A Miami product, Cecconi was a supplemental first-round pick in 2020. His prospect stock has dimmed since then, though the Guardians still liked him enough to send their longtime first baseman to Arizona. Cecconi tossed 104 innings for the Snakes between 2023-24, allowing just over six earned runs per nine. His 18.7% strikeout rate is below-average, but he has shown excellent control. He owns a 4.73 ERA over parts of five minor league seasons.
Cleveland lost Ben Lively to the injured list with a flexor strain earlier this week. Cecconi will slot behind Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Luis Ortiz and Logan Allen to round out the rotation for the time being.