In a series of corresponding roster moves, the St. Louis Cardinals have added depth to their pitching staff by claiming right-hander Zak Kent off waivers from the Texas Rangers. The move, first reported by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, comes just days after the Rangers designated Kent for assignment to clear space on their 40-man roster for veteran left-hander Jordan Montgomery, who recently returned to the organization on a free agent deal.
To make room for Kent on their own 40-man roster, the Cardinals have designated infielder Bryan Ramos for assignment. Ramos, 23, had only been with the organization for a brief period, having been claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles in early February. Both the Cardinals and Rangers have officially confirmed the transaction, which represents a continued effort by St. Louis to identify undervalued arms while simultaneously creating roster flexibility.
Scouting Report on Zak Kent
Zak Kent, 27, was originally selected by the Texas Rangers in the ninth round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Virginia Military Institute (VMI). He has spent the entirety of his professional career within the Rangers organization prior to this claim, working his way up through their player development system with mixed results.
Kent possesses a prototypical starter’s frame at 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, and he has predominantly worked as a starting pitcher throughout his minor league career. His arsenal is highlighted by a four-seam fastball that sits in the low-to-mid 90s, touching 95 mph, with some riding life that allows it to play up in the zone. He complements the heater with a slider that shows late biting action, considered by scouts to be his primary swing-and-miss offering, as well as a developing changeup and an occasional curveball.
Control and consistency have been the primary hurdles for Kent throughout his professional career. While he has demonstrated the ability to miss bats—averaging over nine strikeouts per nine innings across his minor league tenure—he has also struggled with command, leading to elevated walk rates. These command issues have prevented him from solidifying himself as a reliable rotation option and have contributed to his vulnerability on the waiver wire.
Kent made his MLB debut with the Rangers during the 2024 season, appearing in a limited capacity. In 12 major league appearances, he posted an ERA north of 5.00, with strikeout and walk rates that reflected his minor league profile. While the surface-level numbers were not overwhelming, the Cardinals’ front office and player development staff likely see raw materials they believe they can refine. St. Louis has built a reputation in recent years for identifying pitchers with solid underlying metrics and helping them unlock more consistent performance through mechanical adjustments and improved pitch sequencing.
The Bryan Ramos Factor
The corresponding roster move involving Bryan Ramos is notable primarily for its timing. Ramos, a corner infielder, had only been a member of the Cardinals organization for approximately two weeks. He was originally claimed off waivers from the Orioles on February 3, as Baltimore had designated him to clear space for their own series of offseason acquisitions.
Ramos originally signed with the Chicago White Sox as an international free agent out of Cuba in 2021. He was viewed at the time as a promising young hitter with raw power potential and solid defensive tools at third base. However, his development has been somewhat stalled by injuries and inconsistency at the plate. In parts of four minor league seasons, Ramos has shown flashes of the power that made him an intriguing prospect—hitting 15 home runs in 2023 between High-A and Double-A—but his on-base percentages have fluctuated, and he has yet to fully tap into his offensive potential against upper-level pitching.
The White Sox designated Ramos for assignment in December, at which point the Orioles swooped in to claim him. Baltimore’s roster churn continued when they designated him again in early February, leading to the Cardinals’ claim. Now, after just a fortnight in the organization, Ramos finds himself on the move once more.
With the designation, the Cardinals now have seven days to either trade Ramos, place him on outright waivers, or release him. Given that multiple teams have shown interest in him as recently as this offseason—evidenced by the Orioles’ claim in December and the Cardinals’ claim in February—it is plausible that another organization will take a flier on him if he clears waivers or is made available in a minor trade. Ramos still has a minor league option remaining, making him an attractive depth piece for clubs looking to stockpile controllable infield talent.
Strategic Implications for the Cardinals
For the Cardinals, this move reflects a broader organizational philosophy of cycling through younger players with remaining potential while maintaining roster flexibility. By claiming Kent, the team adds a pitcher with major league experience and minor league option years remaining, allowing them to stash him at Triple-A Memphis as non-roster inventory if he does not break camp with the big league club.
The Cardinals’ pitching staff has undergone significant turnover in recent seasons, and the organization has prioritized depth as a means of weathering the inevitable injuries that occur over a 162-game season. Kent joins a group of pitchers competing for either the final spot in the rotation or a long-relief role in the bullpen. If he can harness his command under the tutelage of the Cardinals’ coaching staff, he could emerge as a valuable swingman capable of providing spot starts and multi-inning relief.
What’s Next for the Rangers
For Texas, the decision to designate Kent was a procedural necessity rather than a reflection of their long-term view of the pitcher. The Rangers were aggressive in reuniting with Montgomery, a key contributor to their 2023 World Series championship run, and needed to open a 40-man roster spot to finalize that agreement. Montgomery’s deal, which had been rumored for several days, became official late last week, prompting the flurry of activity that ultimately landed Kent in St. Louis.
The Rangers’ rotation is now considerably deeper with Montgomery back in the fold, joining a group that includes Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, and Dane Dunning, among others. That surplus of starting pitching made Kent expendable, though Texas would likely have preferred to keep him in the organization had roster space permitted.
Looking Ahead
As spring training games are set to begin in the coming days, Kent will report to the Cardinals’ camp in Jupiter, Florida, where he will have the opportunity to make an immediate impression on the major league coaching staff. His path to a roster spot is not guaranteed, but a strong spring showing could position him as a non-roster invitee with a legitimate chance to contribute in St. Louis at some point during the 2026 campaign.
For Ramos, the coming days will determine whether he remains in the Cardinals organization on a minor league assignment or begins yet another chapter with a new team. Given the level of interest he generated over the winter, it would not be surprising to see another club place a claim or work out a trade with St. Louis to retain his services.
This transaction, while relatively minor in the grand scope of the offseason, illustrates the continuous roster management that defines the modern MLB landscape. Teams are constantly evaluating the margins of their 40-man rosters, seeking any competitive advantage that might emerge from claiming a player whose previous organization simply ran out of room.
