The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that they have signed free agent infielder Ramón Urías to a one-year contract for the 2026 season, with a mutual option for 2027. It’s a one-year, $2 million guarantee—comprising a $1.5 million salary for 2026 and a $500,000 buyout on the 2027 mutual option—plus up to $2 million in performance incentives based on plate appearances.
Urías, 32, has played in 541 games over six Major League seasons, primarily with the Baltimore Orioles. He split the 2025 season between the Orioles and Houston Astros after being traded on July 31. The right-handed hitting infielder owns a career .257 batting average with 50 home runs and 215 RBI, along with a .723 on-base plus slugging percentage.
A multi-positional defender, Urías has logged 371 games at third base, 108 at second base, 61 at shortstop, and 18 at first base. He became the fourth Mexican-born player to win a Rawlings Gold Glove Award when he was voted the top defensive third baseman in the American League in 2022, joining Fernando Valenzuela (1981), Aurelio Rodríguez (1976), and Ruben Amaro Sr. (1964) as countrymen to earn the honor.
Urías’s professional journey began when he was signed as a 16-year-old international free agent by the Texas Rangers. His contract was later sold to the Diablos Rojos of the Mexican League, where he played five seasons from 2013-17. On January 2, 2018, the Cardinals purchased him from Diablos Rojos, and he contributed to the Memphis Redbirds’ (Triple-A) run to the 2018 Pacific Coast League Championship.
The Orioles claimed Urías off waivers from St. Louis on February 11, 2020. His MLB career launched during the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened 2020 season, with his debut coming in August. Over the past five seasons (2021-25), he has made the Opening Day roster each year and appeared in two postseason series with the Orioles: the 2023 American League Division Series and the 2024 Wild Card Series.
To accommodate Urías on the 40-man roster, the Cardinals designated pitcher Zak Kent for assignment. Urías has been assigned uniform No. 33.
This move marks a return to the organization that first brought him into affiliated baseball in the U.S., adding valuable right-handed infield depth, Gold Glove-caliber defense, and postseason experience to the Cardinals’ roster as they prepare for spring training and the 2026 campaign. The low-risk structure, with incentives rewarding playing time, aligns well with the team’s strategy to bolster versatility without long-term commitments. Cardinal fans can welcome back No. 33 and look forward to his contributions in what could be a full-circle chapter for the veteran infielder.
