The Pittsburgh Pirates have claimed right-handed pitcher Dennis Santana off waivers from the New York Yankees. Left-hander Jose Hernandez has been designated for assignment.
Santana had been designated for assignment by the Yankees on Sunday. He made 23 appearances out of the bullpen with New York and went 0-2 with a 6.26 ERA. The 28-year-old totaled 27.1 innings pitched and allowed 27 hits, issued 10 walks and struck out 19 batters.
Santana made his major-league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2018 season and has spent time with the Mets and Rangers in addition to the Yankees and Dodgers in his seven-year career.
As a big-leaguer, Santana has gone 10-14 with a 5.34 ERA in 166 appearances. His career 4.21 FIP indicates he could be in line for better results, though he has been searching for consistent success throughout his career.
Hernandez was selected by the Pirates in the 2022 Rule 5 Draft. The left-hander went 1-3 with a 4.97 ERA in 50 appearances as a rookie last season. He made seven appearances across several stints in the big leagues this season and went 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA.
The 26-year-old scuffled at Triple-A Indianapolis in 2024. Through 14 appearances, Hernandez owned a 7.04 ERA. Opponents collected 19 hits against him and the left-hander walked nine and struck out 21.
Additionally, the Pirates recalled right-handed pitcher Ryder Ryan from Indianapolis prior to Tuesday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals.
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The St. Louis Cardinals are going to look a little different when they take the field on Friday night. St. Louis had a busy trade deadline and traded Ryan Helsley, Steven Matz, and Phil Maton away. Now, in response, the Cardinals made a handful of moves on Friday. First and foremost, the Cardinals are placing Nolan Arenado and recalling Nolan Gorman, per The Athletic's Katie Woo. "The St. Louis Cardinals will place third baseman Nolan Arenado on the 10-day injured list with a right shoulder injury before Friday’s game against the San Diego Padres, team sources told The Athletic," Woo said. "Arenado’s shoulder issues date to early July. He missed a handful of games trying to avoid the IL and hoped resting over the All-Star break would alleviate the discomfort... "Nolan Gorman (back spasms) will come off the 10-day IL as the corresponding move and will see the bulk of starts at third base. Gorman began a rehab assignment with Double-A Springfield on Tuesday and homered in Wednesday’s game." Also, the Cardinals are bringing up Ryan Fernandez, Roddery Muñoz, and Andre Granillo to help out in the bullpen, per Woo. "The Cardinals are also recalling Ryan Fernandez, Roddery Muñoz and Andre Granillo from Triple-A Memphis. St. Louis needs to replenish its bullpen after trading away its top three relievers in Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton and Steven Matz at the trade deadline. Fernandez struggled with the big league club in April, posting an 11.42 ERA over 11 appearances before being demoted to Memphis. However, he’s been much more effective since, with a 3.12 ERA in 29 appearances and a 12.72 K/9 ratio." What a week for St. Louis.
Khan has openly said he will never pass up the chance to explore opportunities that could improve the team. On Friday, news broke that Parsons requested a trade out of Dallas. While the possibility of landing Parsons remains a long shot, this request provides Khan with a rare window to investigate whether there’s a way to bring one of the league’s most dominant pass rushers to Pittsburgh. Earlier in February 2025, Parsons spoke with former Steelers cornerback turned analyst Bryant McFadden about the Steelers. During the conversation, McFadden joked that the Steelers logo would look good on Parsons. Parsons responded playfully, saying he would love to play for Mike Tomlin, adding fuel to the speculation that a move to Pittsburgh might not be completely out of the question. "Nah, I rock with the Steelers," Parsons said. "I said if I ever return home it was going to be Pittsburgh. I mess with Mike Tomlin the long way." It’s no secret that Tomlin is one of the most popular head coaches in the NFL. Many players have expressed a strong desire to play for him, and that reputation has sometimes helped the Steelers attract top talent. A prime example of this is when the Steelers convinced four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers to join the team, a move that energized the fanbase and boosted expectations. The idea of Parsons lining up alongside TJ Watt and the rest of Pittsburgh’s elite defense is both thrilling and intimidating. While it remains a very far-fetched possibility, Parsons’ recent comments about wanting to play for the Steelers have sparked excitement among fans. These remarks, made in 2025, add fuel to the speculation that a trade could be in the cards, even if the odds are slim. Parsons, who grew up in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, shared a message on social media Friday explaining what really led to his trade request. If Parsons has any influence over his next destination, and if Khan can work his magic, the Steelers might just have a slim but real chance to pull off a trade. Landing Parsons would instantly make Pittsburgh’s defense one of the most fearsome in NFL history, though it remains an ambitious long shot. Steelers Chances Of Trading For Micah Parsons Are Low While the thought of Parsons playing in the black and gold for the 2025 season is certainly exciting, the logistics would be very complex, though not impossible. Parsons is clearly unhappy with the Cowboys, and Jerry Jones has not helped their chances of keeping him satisfied. He officially wants out, and now is the time for Khan to see if there’s any logical way to pull off a crazy trade.
The New York Knicks aren't waiting for the offseason drama surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks to end before taking care of a key signing for their roster this summer. Per Shams Charania of ESPN, the Knicks signed Mikal Bridges to a four-year deal worth $150M on Thursday. "New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges has agreed to a four-year, $150 million contract extension with the franchise, agents Sam Goldfeder and Jordan Gertler of Excel Sports Management tell ESPN," Charania posted on X. "The new deal includes a player option for 2029-30 and a trade kicker." Bridges' extension might not have happened if the Knicks believed they had a serious shot to land an elite player in a trade this summer. Per Ashish Mathur of Hoops Wire, the Knicks made their decision to sign Bridges to a new deal after they learned Antetokounmpo plans to stay in Milwaukee. "The New York Knicks got intel that Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t request a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks before signing Mikal Bridges to an extension, an NBA source told Hoops Wire on Thursday," Mathur wrote. "...The Knicks would have pursued Giannis Antetokounmpo had the two-time MVP requested a trade from the Bucks. All signs point toward Antetokounmpo remaining in Milwaukee." Due to the player option Bridges has in his new deal, the guard cannot be traded for at least six months. Mathur's report signals the reality that New York wants to land another star to pair with Jalen Brunson. However, the Knicks might not make a big splash until the trade deadline next year. The Knicks need a big man who can score and play defense at a high level in the playoffs, something Karl-Anthony Towns was unable to do in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The cornerback position for the Minnesota Vikings has seen a lot of questions over the last few months. Arguably the biggest one is whether or not the Vikings added enough talent to really make the Super Bowl run. Through the first week and a half of training camp, it looks to be the right decision by the Vikings. Their depth at cornerback has been really impressive, leaving a lot more confidence in the cornerback group than we had previously. The biggest standout has been Jeff Okudah, which was a fascinating addition in real time. During his press conference on Friday, head coach Kevin O'Connell was asked about Okudah's performance in training camp, and he also raved about him. "You guys probably felt it. I mean, when he gets up and presses, you know, at that line of scrimmage and wins that early fight in the down, you don't see him lose very much, you know, when he gets his hands on people. I think I've been probably surprised. I actually got a chance to spend some time with him many years ago, at Ohio State, went for the pro day. A friend of mine, who happens to be the coordinator up in Green Bay now, was the coordinator there, and I got to spend some time with Jeff. And just remember thinking to myself, This guy is going to be a top-five pick. I mean, felt like he was as tall as I was, you know, big, strong, fast, and then he was and we're very fortunate to have him. I see a clear role for him. Not all corners in our defense play the same spots, play the same roles, so to think that we're going to have him in a role we feel pretty strongly about, it's great to see him take it and run with it early on, because I think he's had a phenomenal camp. And I hope you know that'd be a good question for Flo [Brian Flores]. You probably asked him already, but I know flow in my dialog about Jeff has been really positive early on." The line from O'Connell talking about how they see a clear role for him resonates hard here. The Vikings have done a good job in putting players in position to be successful. Okudah's role is likely going to be similar to what Shaquill Griffin's was last year. The biggest difference between Okudah and Griffin? The former can run with really fast wide receivers. Will Okudah end up being a quality starter for the Vikings? That remains to be seen, but it's certainly possible, especially with how well the coaching staff is talking about him.
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