Popular Pinch-Hitter Departs Cardinals After Being Claimed Off Waivers by Orioles

Yohel Pozo, whose journey back to the big leagues had the feel of a made-for-TV movie and captured the hearts and minds of Cardinals fans, departed the organization on Thursday when he was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles.

Pozo, 29, was designated for assignment last week when the Cardinals were forced to add reliever to the 40-man roster to replace left-hander JoJo Romero (appendicitis). Pozo, who tied the National League lead in pinch-hit RBI last season, was claimed off waivers by the Orioles, who lost prosing young catcher Samuel Basallo to a shoulder injury.

Pozo, who made his MLB debut with the Rangers in 2021, was homeless for a stretch of 2020 when his infant son suffered a series of strokes just weeks after being born and the catcher was without medical insurance when Minor League Baseball was shut down in 2020 because of the pandemic.

Pozo returned to the big leagues last April with the Cardinals when Ivan Herrera went down with a knee injury. Juke like he had done in his first MLB game in 2025 while playing for the Rangers, Pozo homered in his first game with the Cardinals.

Pozo, a Venezuela native who learned to hit by swinging at the black beans flicked to him by his grandfather, made his name with the Cardinals as a clutch pinch-hitter in 2025. He delivered the first walk-off hit of his MLB career on June 21, 2025, when he singled to right field in the 11th inning of a Cards' victory over the Reds. He then hit a dramatic three-run, pinch-hit home run at Wrigley Field on July 5, 2024, to lift the Cards over the Cubs. He had the first walk-off hit of his career. Later in the season, he also drove home the winning run in a St. Louis victory over the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

Pozo drove in seven runs as a pinch-hitter in 2025, tying him with Justin Turner for the National League lead. This season, his one hit in a pinch-hit role plated a run to lift the Cardinals past the Royals on May 15.