Cardinals Claim RHP Zak Kent Off Waivers; Designate Bryan Ramos for Assignment

The St. Louis Cardinals claimed right‑hander Zachary Allen Kent off waivers from the Texas Rangers and added him to their 40‑man roster, the club announced, and the team said, "We have claimed RHP Zak Kent off waivers from the Texas Rangers. 3B Bryan Ramos has been designated for assignment." The move was made to create a 40‑man roster spot for Kent; Bryan Ramos, a 23‑year‑old infielder who had been claimed by St. Louis roughly 10 days earlier, was placed in DFA status.

Kent, born Feb. 24, 1998 in Henrico, Virginia, made his MLB debut April 23, 2025 and posted a 1‑0 record with a 4.58 ERA in 12 appearances for Cleveland that season, totaling 17.2 innings, 16 strikeouts and a 1.42 WHIP. He was originally a ninth‑round pick by the Texas Rangers in the 2019 draft out of Virginia Military Institute and has worked extensively in the minors: 117 career minor league appearances with 63 starts, a 13‑16 record and a 4.13 ERA. At Triple‑A in 2025 he turned heads with a 2.84 ERA and a 31.4 percent strikeout rate and recorded his first two professional saves with the Columbus Clippers.

The claim brings Kent back to an organization that briefly held him last winter. MLB transaction records show St. Louis first claimed Kent from Cleveland on Dec. 5, 2025, designated him for assignment on Jan. 6, 2026 after acquiring Justin Bruihl, then lost him to the Rangers on Jan. 9. Texas designated Kent for assignment Feb. 13 to clear a roster spot for left‑hander Jordan Montgomery, and St. Louis re‑claimed him Feb. 16. Because Kent exhausted all three of his minor league options after being placed on a 40‑man roster in late 2022, he cannot be sent to Triple‑A without clearing waivers first, meaning he either must make the Cardinals’ Opening Day 26‑man roster out of spring camp or faces more waiver exposure.

Bryan Ramos becomes the immediate roster casualty. Ramos, a 23‑year‑old third baseman who made his big league debut with the Chicago White Sox in 2024, hit .202/.252/.333 with three home runs and 11 RBIs across 32 games in 2024 and appeared in four MLB games in 2025. Sources track Ramos’ path through the White Sox organization to a brief stint with Baltimore before St. Louis’ claim earlier this month; now he enters the DFA window and could be claimed, traded, or outrighted depending on interest around the league.

The move underscores continued offseason churn on the fringes of 40‑man rosters: Kent pairs an eye‑popping Triple‑A K rate with mixed big league peripherals, MLB rate context lists a 21.1 percent strikeout rate and a double‑digit walk rate in his MLB sample, and that profile makes him attractive but precarious. With Kent back on the 40‑man, the Cardinals now must decide whether he is part of the bullpen picture out of camp or another short‑term roster gamble that could flip again before spring ends.