Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

2025 Transactions: Astros Sign De Los Santos, Cardinals Claim Alcala

Originally posted on New Baseball Media
By Chris Studley | Last updated Aug 8, 2025 12:27 PM ET

The Houston Astros added some relief help in the free agent market on August 7, signing veteran reliever Enyel De Los Santos. Houston wasn’t the only team to make a reliever move on the day. St. Louis claimed Jorge Alcala off waivers from the Red Sox.

Astros get De Los Santos

Houston officially signed Enyel De Los Santos on August 7. In corresponding moves, the Astros DFA’d Luis Contreras and optioned Nick Hernandez to Sugar Land (AAA).

De Los Santos has moved around a lot, as Houston will be his sixth team (Guardians, Padres, Yankees, White Sox, Braves) since the start of the 2023 campaign.

The 29-year-old didn’t have terrible numbers with the Braves, who released him in early August after he was outrighted. He limited well-hit contact (7.6% Barrel%) and ranked above the league average in terms of whiffs.

Much of his success can be attributed to a solid slider, one that had a 38.1% Whiff% this season with Atlanta.

Cardinals add Alcala

The Cardinals claimed Jorge Alcala, DFA’d earlier in the week by the Red Sox, on August 7.

Boston made the most to DFA Alcala two days earlier when the team recalled Isaiah Campbell from Triple-A. The 30-year-old was previously acquired earlier in the summer as part of a trade with the Twins.

Alcala posted a solid 1.69 ERA across his first 16 innings with the Sox. However, there were some warning signs, namely the eight walks and two home runs. Alcala’s last outing came on August 4, an outing when he gave up two home runs against the Royals.

The 30-year-old is a hard-thrower who, like a lot of hard-throwing pitchers, can have trouble with either walks or home runs — or both. The 10% Barrel% and 12.1% BB% this season are both proof of that.

However, with Ryan Helsley and Nick Maton gone, the Cardinals get a fresh arm with strikeout potential.

This article first appeared on New Baseball Media and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: