The St. Louis Cardinals have acquired right-handed reliever George Soriano from the Washington Nationals in exchange for fellow right-hander Andre Granillo.
Soriano, 26, is a native of San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican Republic. He was originally signed as an international free agent by the Miami Marlins in 2015. The reliever has Major League experience, appearing in 72 games (with one start) across the past three seasons. He made a scoreless appearance in the 2024 Wild Card round against the Philadelphia Phillies and was part of the Marlins’ Opening Day roster in each of the last two seasons.
In his MLB career, Soriano owns a 3-1 record with a 5.95 ERA, striking out 117 batters over 118.0 innings. He has recorded three saves and two holds. Notably, he has stranded inherited runners at a 38.2% rate (13 of 34 scored). Against right-handed batters, he has been more effective, limiting them to a .229 batting average (56-for-245), compared to left-handers hitting .294 (63-for-214).
Soriano’s offseason has been eventful—he was claimed off waivers three times: by the Baltimore Orioles on November 5, 2025, the Atlanta Braves on January 9, 2026, and most recently by the Washington Nationals on January 30, 2026. This trade marks his move to the Cardinals, where he will report to Major League Spring Training as part of the 40-man roster. Out of minor-league options, he is expected to compete for a bullpen spot.
Interestingly, Soriano is first cousins with seven-time MLB All-Star Alfonso Soriano, who had a standout career with teams including the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, and Washington Nationals.
In return, the Nationals receive Andre Granillo, 25, a right-handed pitcher who made his MLB debut with the Cardinals in 2025. Granillo appeared in 14 games for St. Louis last season, posting a 1-0 record with a 4.71 ERA and one save. The swap is a straight reliever-for-reliever deal, with both teams addressing bullpen needs through the exchange.
This low-key transaction provides the Cardinals with a veteran arm who has postseason experience and some big-league seasoning, while the Nationals add a younger pitcher with upside from his recent debut performance.
