What Alimber Santa’s Impending MLB Debut Means to Astros Bullpen

The Houston Astros are off on Thursday. But there is a transaction coming that could mean plenty to their bullpen.

The Athletic’s Chandler Rome (subscription required) reported that Houston plans to select Santa’s contract, meaning he’ll be placed on the 40-man and 26-man roster sometime before the Astros face the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Friday.

He was confirming the original report from Spanish baseball writer Hector Gomez and, curiously enough, injured Astros catcher Yainer Daiz’s Instagram account.

The Astros have not made an official move and don’t have to until Friday. Houston has space on its 40-man roster but will have to make a move to its 26-man roster for Santa.

If that’s the move, here is what it could mean for Houston’s bullpen and for Santa.

Alimber Santa’s Potential Impact

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada talks with a player. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Houston rolled the dice with Santa last offseason by leaving him unprotected in the Rule 5 draft. It was believed he could be selected but every team passed on him. He was coming off a breakthrough season at Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Sugar Land where he went 3-2 with a 2.31 ERA in 2025. He had six holds and two saves. He struck out 82 and walked 39 in 70 innings as batters hit .185 against him.

His ERA at Sugar Land may have chased teams off, as it was over 6.00 after his promotion. But that was to Houston’s advantage. It was able to stash the Top 30 prospect, and he’s improved markedly with the Space Cowboys.

In 18 games he is 4-2 with a career-best 1.42 ERA in 18 games. He has struck out 24 and walked seven in 19 innings and baters are hitting .159 against him. He has two saves in three chances.

Per MLB.com’s scouting report, his best pitch is a fastball that can hit 98 mph but still needs some movement. He also boasts a solid slider that hits 85 mph and a curveball that can run in the mid-70s and is effective against lefties.

He brings three solid pitches to the Major League level. Houston can deploy him as a low-leverage reliever to begin with, even has he projects as a potential high-leverage arm down the line. But inserting him in the bullpen rotation helps take some of the heat off their high-leverage arms that are worn out. His walk rate, which has been high historically, bears monitoring. But Houston needs a fresh arm.

Closer Josh Hader needs a couple of more weeks of rehab before he can join the Astros. When he returns, Santa is likely optioned back to Triple-A — unless he proves to be an effective arm out of the game.

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