Jun 26, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Zak Kent (61) throws a pitch during the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Cardinals' Aggressive Waiver Approach Thwarted By Twins Claim

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Jackson Roberts | Last updated Feb 26, 2026 3:49 PM ET

Kudos to the St. Louis Cardinals for getting involved in the waiver game, even if it doesn't always pay dividends.

It was not a Cardinals hallmark under former president of baseball operations John Mozeliak to aggressively put in claims on waived players, hoping to juggle the roster effectively if they landed some. But in year one under Chaim Bloom, the Cards have been constantly in the mix.

However, though that approach has sometimes seemed to pay off this offseason, it didn't work out after St. Louis recently waived right-handed pitcher Zak Kent.

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Cardinals lose Zak Kent to Twins

Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Kent, who the Cardinals designated for assignment for a second time this offseason on Saturday when they signed infielder Ramón Urías, was claimed by the Minnesota Twins off waivers on Thursday, per the official transactions log on his roster page.

Kent, who turned 28 on Tuesday, appeared in his first 12 major league games this past season with the Cleveland Guardians. When he was originally waived in December, the Cardinals claimed him for a month, just to lose him to the Texas Rangers on Jan. 6.

Essentially, the Cardinals knew all along when they were claiming Kent that there was a good chance he would be the first man out of the picture. But when you're the team to waive a player during the offseason, you're typically hoping they'll pass through waivers unclaimed and wind up back in your organization.

That approach hasn't netted the Cardinals much since the offseason began in earnest, but there's no harm in trying. And they do have one recently-waived player in spring training who wasn't on the 40-man roster to begin the offseason -- right-handed pitcher George Soriano, who they acquired in a trade with the Washington Nationals on Feb. 10.

Kent heads back to the American League Central after a long winter of hanging onto his spot on a 40-man roster by a thread. But he can rest assured that the Cardinals will remain interested if and when he becomes available again.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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