Yerry De Los Santos
Position: RHP
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 210 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
Born: 12/12/1997
Country: Dominican Republic
How Acquired: International Free Agent, 2014
Bonus: $100,000
40-man Roster: Yes
Rule 5 Eligible: N/A
Minor League Free Agency: N/A
Options Left: 2
Overview
The Pirates signed De Los Santos for $100,000, which by their standards was a lot for a pitcher back in 2014. He was throwing in the upper-80s as of 2017, but by spring of 2019 was sitting in the mid-90s. He’s struggled for much of his career with various arm and shoulder injuries, including Tommy John surgery.
2015-18
De Los Santos spent a number of years getting his career going. In his first year, in 2015 in the DSL, he got hit around as a 17-year-old, which isn’t unusual. The next year he had Tommy John surgery, then in 2017 he was shut down after five appearances in the DSL. In 2018, he managed to throw 18.1 IP over three rookie levels, making good progress in the limited action.
2019-21
A: 4-2-13, 1.44 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 50.0 IP, 2.2 BB/9, 13.1 K/9
The Pirates started pushing De Los Santos in 2019, moving him up to Greensboro in May. He served as closer and dominated the league, striking out 38% of the batters he faced. In 2020, he was eligible for the Rule 5 draft but wasn’t selected. He didn’t pitch during the pandemic year, then jumped up to AA in 2021 and got off to a very strong start before missing the bulk of the season with a forearm strain. After the season he would have been eligible for minor league free agency, but re-signed with the Pirates before becoming a free agent. He was still eligible for the Rule 5 draft, as the Pirates preferred to waste roster spots on veteran minor leaguers who ultimately did nothing for them, but luckily the draft was canceled that year due to the strike.
2022-23
In 2022, De Los Santos opened the season with Indianapolis and the Pirates called him up in late May. He pitched very well through the end of July, then had two bad outings in August. In the second one, on August 11, he gave up four runs without retiring a batter. After that, he went on the injured list with a shoulder strain and missed the rest of the season. De Los Santos did a lot better against right-handed hitters than left-handed hitters, with an opponents’ OPS against each of .617 and .755, respectively.
De Los Santos seemed like a lock for the 2023 bullpen, but he had a terrible spring, then went to Indianapolis and was terrible there. He had a 6.12 ERA, 2.24 WHIP, and plenty of other nightmarish stats. When the Pirates had a need, though, they called De Los Santos up, and he spent the bulk of June, July and August with them. He had a 3.33 ERA and 1.23 WHIP, but the other numbers weren’t as good. His walk and K rates were very weak, at 4.8 and 6.7 per nine innings, respectively. He benefited from a .225 BABIP. In mid-August, De Los Santos went on the injured list for unknown reasons and missed the rest of the season. It seems possible that his struggles during the season may have been health-related.
The Pirates designated De Los Santos for assignment after the season. If he clears waivers, he’ll be eligible for minor league free agency.
Stats
TRANSACTIONS
July 2, 2014: Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an international free agent.
May 23, 2022: Contract purchased by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
November 2, 2023: Designated for assignment by the Pittsburgh Pirates.